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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26211625">Beneath the Waves</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaffeeTaffee/pseuds/LaffeeTaffee'>LaffeeTaffee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Beyond Soma [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Android relationships, Androids acting like dorks, Androids in love with humans, Boat house swim day, Bonfires, Collaboration, Comfort, Complicated Relationships, Connor is hiding something bigger, Desperate Sex, Dialogue Heavy, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction Crossover, Fifty Shades of Connor, Fluff, Fondling, Graphic Sexual Content, Grinding, Kate is a bitch, Masturbation, Original Chapter Art, Power core play, Romance, Samantha is horny, Sex, Simon and Connor are a little married, Simon is a pervert, Simon is hiding something, Singing, Smut, Swimming in Detroit River, They all get along though, Unlock badass Simon at the end, adult conversations, double-date, guitar playing, relationships, tags will update</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:47:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26211625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaffeeTaffee/pseuds/LaffeeTaffee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A month after meeting at Ruby's Diner, the two young couples plan for a day of swimming in the Detroit River at Simon and Kate's house. They are still very new at this friendship business, not to mention society still hasn't quite accepted androids as an equal species to its own. It leaves the two androids feeling miserably inadequate, each desperate in his own desire to rise above the criticism that faces android civil rights. The relationships become strained when Simon's withdrawn behavior causes Kate to suspect he's hiding something more than he admits, and Connor develops a worrying new software glitch which grows in severity every time Samantha sexually arouses him.</p><p>Despite their concerns, the couples try to enjoy themselves as they nearly drown each other in the river, throw each other off the deck, and accidentally see what cannot be unseen. They each realize that there is no easy way for humans to have relationships with androids, and that is just the nature of the world. But as the night draws to a close, deadly secrets make their way to the surface, and Connor's software glitch takes a disturbing turn for the worse.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Simon (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Beyond Soma [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Android Etiquette</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyChou/gifts">TyChou</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a collaboration months in the making with Ty Chou and I'm finally posting the first chapter. Although it helps to read the first part of this series, Chicago: Within Soma, it's not necessary to understand the events of this story (you may just miss some inside-jokes).</p><p>Beneath the Waves is a crossover between fanfictions Chicago: Become Human and Detroit: Within Soma.</p><p>Chicago: Become Human is the story of Connor RK800-48, a refurbished Connor model that suffers an unfortunate accident and is refurbished and sold as the bodyguard for Samantha, a young and mysterious woman who lives in a facility in Chicago. As he forms a bond with his human, he discovers the truth about the facility and what it means for Samantha's survival. There is no cure for the inevitable attraction that occurs between two people who care deeply for eachother. They intend to keep it alive.</p><p>
  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a>
</p><p>Detroit: Within Soma is the origin story of Simon and how he eventually arrives at Jericho. He is originally purchased as the caregiver of Kate Hayes, a cynical and nihilistic young college student who suffers from epilepsy. In his never-ending journey to understand and connect with his human, Simon unwittingly stumbles upon complex emotions, one of which makes things very difficult to regard their relationship as purely platonic.</p><p>
  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The two androids didn’t need to look for eachother. They had been in constant contact throughout the week, messaging eachother more frequently as the agreed-upon date drew closer. Whether it was spurred by a sense of anticipation or because they were both excited was up for debate. Perhaps each felt one more than the other, since Connor seemed to be  bright-eyed and walked with a lighter step than usual, whereas Simon darted past the pedestrians, throwing nervous glances over his shoulder. When they met in front of the department store, they both turned in unison and walked directly inside, each pushing open a door for themselves.</p><p>Connor narrowed his eyes at Simon who had finally calmed enough to gaze around the store curiously. “Did you do it?”</p><p>Simon met his gaze and he gave him a tense stare. “Of course not. It’s only been three days.”</p><p>“Since you told me,” said Connor. “Obviously, you’ve been considering this for months.”</p><p>Simon sighed and ran a hand down his face as they turned down a shiny clothing aisle which was lined in a blue waving hologram indicating water. “It’s not that simple. Just because androids have rights doesn’t mean humans would be tolerant of… <em> this.” </em></p><p>“I thought we agreed it’s not about what the public wants,” said Connor as he scanned the racks of clothing. “It’s about what makes you happy.”</p><p>“Only if Kate agrees to it,” said Simon. “Otherwise it’s a complete disaster. What about you?”</p><p>Connor looked at him as they walked. “Me?”</p><p>“You said you were at CyberLife only a half hour ago. Did you get─” Simon froze suddenly as Connor spun towards him, his eyes wide and a finger two inches from his face.</p><p><em> “Quiet,” </em> said Connor firmly. “Or message me privately please.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” said Simon. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “I just assumed since Samantha isn’t here…”</p><p>“I understand,” said Connor. “Actually she suggested staying behind so she could finish making potato salad.” He scanned the clothing racks as they moved forward again. “She said it would be good for me and you to shop for swimsuits together. This is guy-time.”</p><p>Simon narrowed his blond eyebrows and threw a glance at him. “Guy-time?”</p><p>“That’s what she called it,” said Connor. “Guy-time between two guys. I suppose we’re the guys.”</p><p>“We should have encouraged them to share girl-time,” said Simon. He was carefully scanning the animated male mannequins which were clothed in various assortments of male swimwear from complicated diving suits to revealing thongs. He calculated their measurements, test fitting each one to the dimensions of his own form. “I’m hoping Kate and Samantha will take this opportunity to become friends.”</p><p>“I would like that,” said Connor. “Although I don’t know what wearing revealing clothing and exercising in water has anything to do with it.”</p><p>“It’s a recreational activity, not an exercise,” said Simon.</p><p>“They will be swimming in moving current exposed to the elements while practically naked,” said Connor. “Is that not exercise?”</p><p>Simon raised his eyebrows at him. “Is sex an exercise?”</p><p>Connor stared at him, his expression suddenly stern. “Fair enough.”</p><p>They were coming upon the end of the men’s section, and Simon stopped to look around them. “I think I know what I need from here. Do you know what you’d like to wear?”</p><p>Connor blinked at him. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Simon let out a breath and his shoulders dropped. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t be swimming in your suit.”</p><p>“I won’t be,” said Connor. “I would remove my shoes and shirt first.”</p><p>“Did Samantha approve of that?” asked Simon. Connor was silent, and Simon tilted his head at him. “Connor?”</p><p>“She made no comment,” said Connor. Simon immediately straightened, scanning the mannequins around him.</p><p>“Then I’ll assume you never asked her.” He honed in on a specific pair of red shorts and immediately moved towards it. He picked them up, and waved them at Connor. “These will fit your dimensions without being too revealing. Unless you want something that will let you swim at optimum performance.”</p><p>Connor stared at the shorts for a moment, the events of his trip to CyberLife running through his mind. He gave Simon a tense look. “They seem a bit… form-fitting?”</p><p>Simon’s LED blinked yellow, and he nodded. “Of course,” he said, setting the red shorts back on the rack and moving around to the other side. He reached for a pair of loose faded blue shorts and held them up for Connor to see. “Better?”</p><p>Connor analyzed the shorts and their dimensions. “Better.”</p><p>“Good.” Simon thumbed through the rack, quickly selecting a pair of modestly long green trunks for himself. He folded the clothes under his arm and moved forward. “I didn’t think you would be that self-conscious about it, or were there no changes to your software?”</p><p>“The software was included,” said Connor as he followed Simon out of the men’s section. “I have to admit it was a bit intrusive being connected to CyberLife again. I still feel somewhat exposed. I’m not quite sure if the program is compatible with my system or if I’m experiencing a glitch.”</p><p>“A glitch?” Simon glanced over his shoulder at him. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“When I think about the <em> act </em> in general,” said Connor. “I experience something of a softlock. As if I can’t think properly, or something is attempting to take control. It feels… intense.”</p><p>Simon let out a soft laugh through his nose, and gave Connor a bemused smile. “I’m not one for diagnosing software issues, but it sounds like the software is working.”</p><p>Connor nodded, though an uncomfortable tension still twisted in his chest. “Perhaps you’re right. It may just take time to adjust to it.”</p><p>“It’s only your first day,” said Simon. He gazed at the racks as they moved down the women’s aisle. “Did you have a particular swimsuit in mind for Samantha?”</p><p>“She has a very light complexion,” said Connor. “It would be best if she wore something that covered as much skin as possible.”</p><p>“I think you’re missing the point of recreational swimming,” said Simon. “The priority is social interaction, not the activity. If she were taking swimming lessons for instance I might─” He stopped suddenly when he realized Connor was no longer following him. The brunette android had wandered down an adjacent aisle and was carefully feeling the fabric of a deep blue, full-bodied dive suit.</p><p>Connor didn’t acknowledge Simon as the android stood next to him. His LED was already spinning yellow as he calculated the measurements to Samantha’s profile. “This will keep her body temperature at a stable level,” said Connor. “And it will minimize her exposure to UV light as well as protecting her from malicious elements.”</p><p>Simon was silent, and when Connor looked at him Simon was giving him a scrutinizing scan with his narrowed blue eyes. Then Simon’s hand was under Connor’s elbow and he pulled Connor away from the diving suit.</p><p>“I think we’d better start with the basics,” said Simon. “I’ll begin with Kate. Kate’s favorite color is yellow. She wouldn’t appreciate anything too revealing. As a matter of fact,” Simon ran a nervous hand through his hair as they walked. “She really won’t appreciate anything regardless.”</p><p>“Should we get her a protective suit then?” said Connor. “Since she won’t appreciate it.”</p><p>“But we wouldn’t either,” said Simon. “So what would you pick to make her look good? What would you pick to make Samantha look good?”</p><p>Connor’s LED spun yellow a moment as he stared straight ahead. Then his mouth pulled in a slow sideways smirk.</p><p>“In public,” said Simon. Connor straightened.</p><p>“Oh. I suppose…” Connor narrowed his brown eyes as he thought carefully. “Maybe something colorful.”</p><p>“Okay, elaborate on that,” said Simon.</p><p>“Mild colors,” said Connor. “But that would compliment her skin tone. Like this.” He suddenly moved to the side, reaching for a lavender swimsuit. “But perhaps a bit more coverage. And patterns.” He moved to the side again, scanning several different swimsuits at a time and projecting them onto the specifications of Samantha’s form. It was difficult for him not to immediately dismiss them as too revealing, though with each one he tried, he was beginning to recognize the way some shapes accentuated her figure while others conformed to it. He moved further down the racks, moving the hanging items aside as he searched. “But it should still allow her to swim effectively. And not risk detaching in a moment of potential crisis.”</p><p>“You may want it to be tied then,” said Simon. He was following behind Connor as Connor darted from rack to rack, scanning incessantly. “And it might be more appropriate to choose a two-piece rather than one.”</p><p>Connor had already settled on a color scheme. He moved hangers aside as he scanned the different shapes and styles. “How do I know what shape would look most appealing on her body?” There was silence, and Connor looked sideways at Simon who was staring at the floor as though lost in deep thought, his LED circling yellow. Simon tilted his head slightly.</p><p>“It depends on what you’d like to see accentuated,” said Simon.</p><p>Connor contemplated a moment, the different aspects of Samantha’s body swirling through his mind. Without a word, he turned and moved to the opposite rack, sweeping part of the hanging row of swimsuits aside. He unhooked one and held it in front of him, his processor hard at work as he carefully observed it. A deep purple halter top with a heart-shaped bust, wide straps, and peppered with lighter purple flowers. He spun around, scanning for the most appropriate bottom to match. He found it almost instantly. A solid lavender bikini bottom that tied on the sides. He moved towards it and picked it up, holding the pieces out in front of him so he could compare the two together.</p><p>Simon moved next to him and Connor threw an inquisitive glance at him. Simon was also scanning the bathing suit carefully. “This would look nice on her,” said Simon. “The bust is particularly characteristic.”</p><p>“It will offer the most support in an active environment,” said Connor. “As well as minimize slippage.”</p><p>Simon felt the material of the top between his fingers. “This should also allow for a dynamic range of motion. If that’s something you prefer.”</p><p>Connor nodded. “More motion is preferable.” Voices behind them caught his attention and he turned to see a young man and woman standing a few feet away from them. The woman let out a laugh and turned away, and the young man shook his head.</p><p>“Sorry,” said the man bluntly. “She just figured the blond was the gay one.”</p><p>The androids stared. Connor narrowed his brown eyes. “Are you implying something?”</p><p>The girl tugged at the young man’s shirt. “Oh my god, they’re probably going to go psycho or some shit. Let’s just go.”</p><p>“Just saying it’s probably a lot easier to do your gay shopping online,” said the man. “You know, considering you’re computers and all.”</p><p>“We happen to be choosing swimsuits for our girlfriends,” said Connor, turning to face the man fully. “I didn’t realize that was a homosexual paradox, although you seem to be proving it just fine.”</p><p>The man stepped forward. “The fuck did you say?”</p><p>“Come on.” The woman pulled at his arm. “You’re gonna make them go berserk.”</p><p>“We’re not going to hurt you,” said Simon. “We’ve earned our right to be here.”</p><p>“You’ve earned the right to be fucking dicks and get away with it,” said the man as he turned to leave. “Talk like a human if you’re going to fit in with us.”</p><p>“I hope you’re not setting yourself as an example of fine human-like behavior,” said Connor.</p><p>The man rounded on him. “You know what you fuckin’ plastic asshole─”</p><p>“Stop!” Simon moved in between Connor and the man, his hands outstretched to each. The young man flung Simon’s hand out of the way, and Simon let out a grunt as the man shoved him back forcefully against his shoulder. Simon’s back hit the wall, and the woman let out a scream. Connor had reacted in one fluid motion, grasping the man’s wrist and twisting it up and behind him so the man was bent over. Connor’s face was tensed in a slight scowl as he held the back of the man’s neck in his other hand, forcing him to crane down at the floor. The man groaned and wobbled.</p><p>“I suggest you finish your shopping experience and forget this exchange ever took place,” said Connor. “Unless you’d like to involve the authorities, although they might believe my memory files over your bastardization of fine etiquette.”</p><p>Simon stared in shock as Connor held the man still. Finally Connor let the man up slowly, releasing him and backing away. The woman rushed at the man, grabbing his arms as the man stepped away and drew in a deep breath. For a moment, it looked like the man was about to fight back again. Then the man shook his head.</p><p>“Fucking androids,” he said, and moved quickly down the aisle. The young woman threw a terrified glance over her shoulder as she followed him.</p><p>Simon let out a heavy sigh and pressed his hand to his forehead. Connor watched him warily.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Simon,” said Connor. “I know how you hate physical confrontation.”</p><p>“It’s not so much the physical part that concerns me,” said Simon. He cast a nervous glance around the area, then moved forward. “Come on. We’re obviously not welcome here, so we shouldn’t risk complicating things further.”</p><p>“What about Kate’s swimsuit?” said Connor. “Are we getting the diving suit or─”</p><p>Simon suddenly stopped, throwing him a contemptuous glance under his blond eyebrows. Then he moved to the side, his LED spinning brightly as he quickly scanned the items of clothing. He reached out and unhooked a bright yellow two-piece swimsuit from one of the racks. Without looking at Connor, he cast a quick glance around and made a motion. “It’s perfect,” he said.</p><p>“It has holes in it,” said Connor. Simon was in front of him as they walked, though Connor could still see his face tense in a wide smile.</p><p>“I know,” said Simon.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>- - - - -</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The apartment was bustling with clinking dishes and the sound of running water in the sink. Connor closed the door behind him as he entered the apartment, leaning sideways to get a better view of the kitchen where Samantha was scrubbing her way through a stack of plates and bowls. She hadn’t heard him enter, and her strawberry blond hair had fallen over her face which looked to be driving her utterly nuts as her hands were soapy and she couldn’t brush it back without covering herself in bubbles. Connor moved into the kitchen, quietly setting down the shopping bag of swimsuits and watched her for a moment. There was something undeniably pleasant watching her in her busy focus as she worked, lost in whatever thoughts she had room for in her busy schedule. Somehow, making noise to get her attention seemed cruel.</p><p>He moved forward behind her and gently slipped his hands around her waist. Samantha jumped slightly and stopped what she was doing. Then she relaxed back into him, turning her head and smiling though it was lost in the curtains of her hair. Connor reached up and pulled her hair back over her shoulder, and her gray eyes met his as her face came into view.</p><p>She turned further into him and her nose bumped his. She made a noise.</p><p>“You were gone for a long time,” she said. “Did you find what you were looking for?”</p><p>Connor pressed his mouth to her temple, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her hair. He smiled and tightened his arms around her. “Yes,” he said.</p><p>Samantha laughed, rocking side to side as she fell further into him. He was pulling her back, and she let out a playful yelp as she scrambled for the faucet. “Wait, no─ my hands!” He didn’t release her, but gave her enough reach to be able to wash the remaining bubbles off of her arms. He twisted around her and ran his hand along her forearm, smoothing over her wrist and gently cupping her hand from behind as his fingers traced the delicate architecture of her knuckles. Samantha let out a soft sigh and tilted her head so that she bumped her forehead against his chin.</p><p>“Great, now we’re both dirty,” she said.</p><p>“There’s a remedy for that,” said Connor. Samantha breathed a laugh through her nose.</p><p>“Can you hand me a towel please?” she said quietly. Connor leaned to the side, pulling her with him so that she struggled to stay upright in his arms, then straightened with a hand towel. Samantha took it from him, then threw him a quick smirk before lightly swatting him in the face with it. “Why are you acting so cute right now? You must have really enjoyed hanging out with Simon.”</p><p>“It was good to see him again,” said Connor, releasing her a bit so she could dry off her hands. “Although we have been in contact since our date at Ruby’s Diner. Shopping seems to have been a good excuse to meet with him in person.” Samantha turned in his arms as she began wiping off Connor’s wet hand. He watched her as she did.</p><p>She looked up at him and smiled. “So are you going to show me what you got?”</p><p>“Actually, Simon picked it for me,” said Connor. “He wouldn’t accept that I am fully capable of swimming in pants if the need calls for it. But he was able to provide some direct input as to which swimsuits were appropriate for the occasion.”</p><p>Samantha snorted. “Connor, there aren’t any swimsuits that you could wear that wouldn’t be appropriate.” She froze for a second as she made a face. “Unless you got a men’s g-string or something.”</p><p>“It wasn’t for me,” said Connor. “I bought you something.”</p><p>Samantha nearly dropped the towel. She looked up at him, her gray eyes wide. “You what?”</p><p>Connor struggled for a moment to speak. He mentally backtracked, then looked down at her hands. “I bought you a swimsuit.”<br/>Samantha’s eyebrows went up, and she opened her mouth but closed it again when she couldn’t think of something to say. Then a smile spread across her face. “Can I see it?”</p><p>He looked up at her, his brown eyes lit in a nervous hope. Then he moved away from her to the table, reaching inside the shopping back and rummaging through it. Samantha watched him as she slowly stepped towards the table and rested her hands on the back of one of the chairs. The different colors captured her attention, a deep green, faded blue, and for some reason a bright yellow. When Connor straightened, he held a bundle of purple shades in his hands.</p><p>“You will need to cover yourself when you aren’t swimming,” said Connor as he unfolded the clothing on its hangers. “Though I believe it still offers the proper support and coverage for your particular─”</p><p>“Connor, that’s…” Samantha pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes round in shock. Connor froze as he watched her, his LED spinning a panicked red. For a while, they simply stared in petrified silence, each drowning in their own racing thoughts. Then Samantha moved her hand to her cheek, her eyes brightening and the corner of her mouth pulling into a hint of a smile. She shook her head, and her smile grew. “It’s… <em> beautiful.” </em></p><p>Connor’s expression didn’t change, though his LED blinked back to calm blue. “It is?”</p><p>“Or I guess I should say it’s cute.” Samantha moved forward, taking the swimsuit from him and running her hands over the fabric. “You actually picked this out?”</p><p>“With Simon’s help,” said Connor. “I preferred the diving suit, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate for a recreational activity such as this.” He watched her as she turned the swimsuit over and examined the different straps and ties. “Will you try it on?” he said.</p><p>Samantha’s gray eyes were lit with nervousness as she looked back up at him. “Try it on? I─ right now?” She clutched the swimsuit to her chest as if bracing herself. “I’ve never worn one before.”</p><p>“Then we should make sure it fits now before we go to the boat house tomorrow,” said Connor. Samantha tilted her head.</p><p>“You just want to see me in it,” she said. Connor raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Technically I’ve already seen you in it, since I used your dimensions to find a swimsuit that would fit your exact profile.”</p><p>“Then if you already know it fits, why do you want me to try it on now?”</p><p>The corner of Connor’s mouth peaked. “To rule out any possible errors.”</p><p>Samantha stared at him a moment, then dropped her head to the side and laughed. “Fine. But if I have to try this on, you have to try yours on.”</p><p>Connor squared his shoulders. “Your terms are acceptable.”</p><p>He gathered the faded blue shorts that Simon had selected for him as Samantha moved into the bathroom. He could hear her carefully snapping the suit into place, and he changed in their bedroom. The blue shorts were comfortably loose, and stopped at mid-thigh. They would allow for quite a bit of flexibility in the water, and Connor couldn’t help but be slightly thankful for Simon’s insight as to their ability to hide the shape of him. As a proof of concept, Connor removed his vest but kept his shirt and tie on as well as his belt with the holster. It dropped awkwardly without the guiding loops of his pants, but Connor tightened the belt around his midsection, adjusting the holster towards the middle of his back so that it stayed square.</p><p>There was a noise behind him and he turned. His thirium pump hitched in his chest.</p><p>Samantha ran a nervous hand over her exposed stomach, her strawberry blond hair falling over her shoulder as she gazed down at the suit. It fit her form perfectly, the dark purples and lavender complimenting her light skin tone, her curves accentuated by the straight bottom edges and ties, and the way the bust refined the shape of her chest while accentuating her collarbones was something Connor hadn’t taken into account in his preconstruction. She looked absolutely mesmerizing─ a picture-perfect definition of the female form, and Connor didn’t have to see the error messages in his software to know he was speechless.</p><p>Samantha looked up at him, her gray eyes wide in humility. “It’s… um, how do I look?”</p><p>Connor waited for his software to load back into proper order. He drew in a deep breath, encouraging his biocomponents to cool down. “You look… incredible.”</p><p>Samantha laughed, her face turning bright red as she dropped her head and brushed her hair back behind one ear. When she looked back up at him, she motioned with her hand. “Well, let me see you in your swimsuit.”</p><p>Connor blinked. “I’m wearing it.”</p><p>“You’re still wearing your shirt,” she said. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at his waist. “And your belt.”</p><p>“I need to wear my belt in order to have my firearm, and my shirt to conceal it,” said Connor. Samantha let out a sigh.</p><p>“You’re not taking your gun to the boat house, Connor,” she said.</p><p>“Then we shouldn’t go if I can’t in confidence keep you safe,” said Connor.</p><p>“You’re at least not wearing it,” said Samantha. “If you absolutely need to have it with you then you can put it in a bag or something. You’re not wearing it to the boat house.”</p><p>Connor’s LED flashed yellow. “That would defeat the purpose of having a firearm in the first place, if I can’t access it quickly.”</p><p>“You’re going to look like a weirdo in swimming shorts and a dress shirt with a gun,” said Samantha, moving forward. She put her hands on his waist and felt his core tighten at her touch. She pushed it further by leaning into him, touching her nose to his. “Take it off.”</p><p>“My appearance will be the least of our concerns if something were to happen,” he said, though he ran his hands over hers and his shoulders tensed as he drew in a deep breath.</p><p>“Consider this practice for tomorrow,” said Samantha, and she drew her hands underneath his shirt, twisting into him as he let out a deep sigh and held onto her wrists. She opened her mouth against his and drew back when he moved to meet her. A smile spread on her lips. “Take. It. Off.”</p><p>His breath was shaky as he fumbled with the strap of his belt, the gentle clinking signaling that it had been loosened. The belt along with the leather holster and weapon fell to the floor. Samantha tugged at his collar as she began to loosen his tie. “Now the rest of this,” she whispered.</p><p>Connor pressed his nose to her cheek as he obediently began to work his tie loose. After it fell to the floor as well, Samantha dropped her hands to his chest. “Keep going,” she said.</p><p>Connor’s hands were on her wrists, and he moved her hands towards his collar. “I’ve had my practice,” he said, and the sultry rasp of his voice caused Samantha’s heart to hitch. “Now have yours.”</p><p>Samantha found herself breathing heavily as she began to undo the buttons of his shirt one by one, revealing the chiseled structure of his collarbones and then his pectoral muscles. Connor’s own sharp breathing was spurring her into a frenzy the lower she worked, feeling her way down his core as she opened her mouth against his and felt him lean further into her. By the time she reached the last button, Connor’s hands were on either side of her neck, his thumbs running along her cheeks as he tilted his head against hers, panting heavily. Samantha reached up to pull his shirt off of his shoulders, and the desperate energy in the way he rolled his shoulders back had her yanking it off his arms, her mouth finally closing frantically over his.</p><p>Her arms went over his shoulders as he pulled her into him by the waist, her slender body pressing against his as he took in the closing of her mouth. He twisted as he ran a hand down her leg and hooked it under her knee, dragging it up so that she wrapped her leg around his hip. Connor’s software was firing off, the different parts of him engaging in a terrifying yet thrilling way in response to her touch. It was as if the drift of her hands through his hair was electrified, the strawberry taste of her mouth satisfyingly tart, and the soft noises she made sent chills through him, urging him on. His system was on overdrive for her.</p><p>He turned, spinning her in a circle with him as he moved her towards the bed and carefully pushed her back onto it. She pulled him with her so that he hovered over her, his arms on either side of her slim body and her mouth open against his as she fought for air. Connor closed his lips against hers, running his hands down the length of her and feeling his own body react at the feel of her knees drawing up along his hips. She was opening herself up to him in a way that he hadn’t been built for. That his system wasn’t designed to handle. And as much as he wanted to keep this disadvantage in check, he couldn’t help but surrender himself to this powerful temptation. He let it take over as he revelled in the sensation of pressing his body into hers.</p><p>She rose up into him, and her head dropped back as she let out a desperate breath of air. His system hitched, and he eased the software further as he closed his mouth on her neck. Just as he was wishing it would simply take over, all sensation suddenly vanished in a shocking void.</p><p>Samantha was gone. The room was gone. He was in empty whiteness. Connor straightened slightly, his mind scrambling in a panicked attempt to acknowledge the situation. Just as it was beginning to terrify him, the world suddenly rushed back to him, and Samantha was in his arms again.</p><p>She didn’t seem to have noticed his abrupt absence. She pressed her nose into his cheek, her legs slowly hooking over his back. The jarring shock of emotions battled eachother in Connor’s head as he tried to make sense of what just happened. He knew what it was. Technically it hadn’t been anything serious. Yet even as the powerful sensations returned to him again, the uncertainty was pushing everything away.</p><p>Samantha finally slowed as she became aware of his hesitation. She drew back slightly, running her hands along his cheeks. “Connor?” she said, her voice breathless. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>For a panicked moment, Connor considered telling her. Yet even as he debated it, Simon’s words rang through his head. It was new software. He was still becoming acclimated to it. There were bound to be some glitches given the questionable compatibility, and he still hadn’t given himself time to run an update. It was too early to worry over it.</p><p>He ran a hand down her cheek, gazing into her stormy gray eyes. “I think I have a glitch related to some hardware,” he said. “It’s nothing to be concerned about. Though…” He tilted his head as he looked at her. “It seems to occur more often when I’m… stimulated.”</p><p>Samantha let out a laugh, though her eyebrows were still tensed in a light frown. “If it’s interrupting this then I’d call that concerning.”</p><p>Connor made a soft humming noise as he brought himself down, pressing his mouth to her neck. He couldn’t help the wave of regret that flowed through him. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”</p><p>“You’d better,” she said, turning into him and gently closing her teeth on his ear. Connor shut his eyes and drew in a deep breath as he felt his software scramble again. With an agonizing effort, he raised himself and gazed down at her. The lustful focus written in her face made him feel as if he were betraying her in the worst way. He sighed as he slid his hand along her neck, taking in the soft feel of her.</p><p>“I’ll update tonight,” he said. “That should get rid of any issues. Then I can make it up to you for as long and as hard as you want me to.”</p><p>Samantha laughed. “Good. I want you to be fully functional for how I’m going to make you pay for this.”</p><p>Connor smiled, and dropped down to close his mouth over hers. He rolled onto his side, bringing Samantha with him as he pressed his mouth to her forehead. She settled into his arms and they fit comfortably together. It was as though they were made of one piece, forming perfectly into the shape of eachother. Yet each of them couldn’t ignore the ominous cloud that hung over them in their own quiet acknowledgement.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks so much to TyChou for letting me write more of this dumb smutfic and practically sexually assault her precious characters. As always, I want to portray every character in the best light possible although there are bound to be some places where I lean more to one side than the other. I absolutely love writing Simon and Connor together. The two of them are so classy and yet they bring out the pervs in eachother. Writing Samantha and Connor together though is always knuckle-bitingly exasperating because I don't want to bring out unintentional flaws in them, but I want to push them to their extremes at the same time. I'll try to settle on a happy mix.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Perfect Fit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Connor and Samantha are almost here,” said Simon as he carried a stack of towels into the small open living space in the boat house. He set them down on the table, stepped back, stared at them, then moved forward and picked them up again. He looked around as his LED spun yellow. “I still need to move the soda from the bottom shelf to the top shelf.”</p><p>“No, <em> you </em> need to calm your tits and just relax,” said Kate from the couch. She lowered her phone and arched herself up from where she was laying so she could look at him, her messy brown hair falling over the armrest. “And how do you know they’re almost here anyway? Are you pretty much in constant contact with Connor now?”</p><p>“He messaged me that they are seven minutes and twelve-seconds away,” said Simon. He set the stack down onto the table next to the door, stepping back only to immediately move forward again to shift it. Kate smiled from the couch as she stared at her phone.</p><p>“Is that taking into account the time that’s already passed, or is that how much time there was when he sent you the message?” she asked.</p><p>Simon looked at her and opened his mouth, his LED spinning red. Then he closed it, making a sound as he stared off in frantic thought. Kate lowered her cell phone again and twisted to look at him.</p><p>“Simon?” she said. He straightened and gazed at her as though he’d just noticed her. She raised herself into a sitting position on the couch and held her hand out to him. For a moment, he shifted on the spot as he fought the urge to take it. She closed and opened her fist in an invitation for him to do it.</p><p>“I─ there’s still so much that needs to be done,” said Simon. “The deck should be swept again, the chairs will have to be moved into the shade now that the sun is at the south side of the house, and there are only five bottles of sunscreen assuming Connor wasn’t able to─”</p><p>“Come. Here.”</p><p>Simon dropped his shoulders and let out a sigh before moving towards her and taking her hand. She pulled him down so that he sat next to her and she moved into his back, kneeling slightly as she kneaded her palms into his shoulders.</p><p>“Does this help?” she said. Simon turned his head in her direction.</p><p>“If you mean in terms of reducing physical strain and decreasing stress levels, then it doesn’t work quite the same way on androids,” said Simon. Kate let out a sigh and rested her forehead on his nape.</p><p>“Then maybe you could try <em> talking </em> to me.”</p><p>The bluntness of her tone sent a wave of dread through Simon’s body. He twisted to look over his shoulder at her. “I know I’m being unnecessarily worried. Connor and Samantha would never judge our living situation even if it were sub-standard, and if everything were out of place, it wouldn’t be difficult to get it organized for their arrival.”</p><p>Kate stared at him, unable to stop the growing frustration in her gut. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”</p><p>Simon returned her gaze, his face tensing in anxiety. Then he looked shamefully at the floor. Kate’s gaze narrowed, and she quickly reached forward to turn his head back to her.</p><p>“When are we going to be done with this?” she said. “I never wanted to see that look again. Ever. Now it’s like every time I want to talk to you, you shut down and you give me <em> that </em> look. The only time you ever look at me like that is if you’re hiding something.”</p><p> Simon let out a soft breath and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Kate. I don’t want to make you worried.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize to me,” said Kate, her hazel eyes focusing compassionately on his. “Talk to me.”</p><p>Simon looked away. Kate dropped her hand and leaned back from him.</p><p>“Every time we do this, I can’t help but think that I’m doing something wrong,” she said. “That I’ve been an unbearable bitch or I said something that set you off and now it’s just unforgivable.”</p><p>“It’s not that. Kate.” Simon turned fully to face her, sliding his hand along her neck to push her hair back. He shook his head as he looked at her. “Kate, you know I would never do that to you.”</p><p>Kate’s hazel eyes grew bright in exasperation. “I don’t know what else to think when I’ve got nothing to work with but what little you give me. You’re nervous all the time, hiding things from me, finding excuses to be so busy you can’t stop and just talk to me for ten minutes. I could deal with the paranoid schizophrenia but what I can’t handle is when you don’t talk to me. That shit scares me, Simon.”</p><p>A wave of helplessness fell over Simon as he breathed out slowly, smoothing his hand over the hip of his jeans and narrowing his eyes in deep thought. Kate ran an anxious hand through her hair as she reorganized herself.</p><p>“Look, it doesn’t have to be all at once,” she said. “If you could just give me something. Anything at this point.”</p><p>“All I can tell you is that it’s not you,” said Simon. “I’ve got something very important on my mind. I just need to learn how to address it properly.”</p><p>“Okay.” Kate shrugged, her eyes growing wide. <em> “What is it?” </em></p><p>Simon opened his mouth. He clenched his hand on his hip, then made a noise and let out a heavy sigh. Kate leaned back against the couch.</p><p>“Something really important that’s bothering you, and you won’t tell me what it is,” she said. “Most people would take this as a sign of something bad.”</p><p>Simon looked up in renewed worry. “Bad? In what way?”</p><p>Kate stared at him for a moment, a bitter anguish lined in her face. “Bad for us.”</p><p>Simon immediately threaded his hand in hers, bringing it up so he held her small hand in both of his. “I promise you whatever you’re thinking it’s not how it looks. I’m just struggling. I need time. I can make it work and things will be better than they were before.”</p><p>Kate slowly drew her hand away from his, shaking her head slowly as resentment fell over her. Simon watched in quiet dismay as she recoiled against the couch, wrapping an arm around her legs and staring off with her eyebrows narrowed over her hazel eyes.</p><p>“It’s getting harder and harder to believe that,” she said quietly.</p><p>
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</p><p>The boat house was huge. Simon had warned them that it was still under minor construction though from the gravel driveway it seemed more than complete. The A-frame structure was made of polymer textured to look like wood so accurately that only Connor could recognize its true nature. Samantha looked up in wonder at how neatly it was nestled in the pine trees, the adjacent winged additions just low enough to allow a view of the shimmering river beyond.</p><p>“This place is gorgeous,” said Samantha as she looped a large bag over her shoulder. She could hardly take her eyes off the building. “They made it sound almost like a garage.” She glanced at Connor who was carrying the rest of the bags, his face somewhat strained. She tilted her head at him. “Are you okay? Still having glitches?”</p><p>He gave his head a shake, and his expression cleared. “It’ll be fine. I think I know what’s causing them and I’m isolating the source.” He looked up as the glass doors to the boat house opened, and Simon moved down the wooden steps towards them. Kate followed behind him, brushing her brown hair behind her ear nervously.</p><p>“Sorry,” said Simon. “I got your message but Kate and I were talking.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” said Samantha. She moved forward and gave Simon a light one-armed hug, swinging her bag to one side. “How’ve you been? Connor talks about you all the time but it’s good to see you again.”</p><p>“I hope he’s only said good things about me,” said Simon, throwing Connor a warm smile. “He’s at least very careful about only saying good things about you.”</p><p>“Good, because I don’t always want to know what you two are talking about,” said Samantha. “I can always tell when you’re in contact because he gets that dumb smile on his face.” She looked at Connor, and made a light motion when the corner of his mouth ticked up. “Like <em> that. </em> Every time.”</p><p>“So basically how Simon looks all the time then,” said Kate. She threw Simon a quick glance before stepping forward. “Hey. Um, hi Samantha.”</p><p>Samantha couldn’t help her wide smile. “Hi, Kate. Are you doing okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, just kind of tired,” said Kate. The car doors slammed closed as Connor moved away from the taxi, and Kate made a horrible attempt at suppressing her smile as she gazed away from him. Connor’s smile was more relaxed.</p><p>“Hello, Kate,” he said. Kate shook her head and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Hi, Connor,” she mumbled. Connor’s smile grew.</p><p>“At least wait for me to start berating your relationship skills before you get upset at me,” said Connor. Kate clenched her eyes shut and breathed out a tense laugh through her teeth.</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Connor.”</p><p>Simon and Samantha laughed. Simon pinched the bridge of his nose as he furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m so glad we decided to do this.” He took a step backward, motioning for everyone to follow. “Do you need me to carry anything?”</p><p>“Thanks,” said Connor. “We’ve got it.”</p><p>“Let me carry something,” said Kate as she walked alongside Connor. “Give me that.”</p><p>“It’s too heavy for you,” said Connor. Samantha let out a snort.</p><p>“You’ve got like five bags,” said Kate.</p><p>“I’m stronger than humans in case you haven’t noticed.”</p><p>“You think I can’t carry a single bag?”</p><p>“Fine. Here.” Connor held out a long black bag and Kate grasped the handles. Then she let out a strangled yelp as the bag dropped to the ground with a heavy clunk, dragging her down with it.</p><p>Samantha stopped at the wooden steps and turned to look back. “Connor─ that was the canopy!” Connor was already moving past her, a knowing smile on his face. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder.</p><p>“Jesus Christ!” Kate struggled to heave the bag up, leaning back on her heels. “What is it made of? The heaviest fucking substance known to science?” The bag was suddenly swung up, and Kate straightened to see Simon’s sideways smile as he heaved the bag over his shoulder and carried it into the house. Kate couldn’t help her embarrassed smirk as she followed him in.</p><p>“It’ll take a while to set this up,” said Connor as they moved into the living space. The front door faced directly out onto the boat deck which opened up into the wide panoramic view of the Detroit river. To the left was a small workshop which was still lined with CyberLife android parts. The living space on the right was small but cozy, featuring two couches in a corner and a small television screen on the wall. The kitchen was easy to miss as it was tucked into an alley space along the back of the wing. A set of stairs ascended above the television screen to the floor above.</p><p>“This is really nice!” said Samantha as she moved into the kitchen. “How long have you been renovating?”</p><p>“About a year now,” said Kate. “We had to pretty much rebuild it from the ground up. Simon was doing most of the labor and I was working to pay for the materials, but since the liberation we’ve kind of taken a break from that.” She moved the items around on the counter as Samantha began to unpack one of the bags. Kate stared. “Holy shit, how much food did you bring?”</p><p>Samantha paused a moment. “Is it too much? I got a little carried away cooking yesterday.”</p><p>“No, it’s just…” Kate ran a hand through her hair and let out a laugh. “I want to eat all of it and I know I can’t.” She began moving the items to the refrigerator, analyzing them as she carried them. “Are you and Connor still living in Midtown?”</p><p>“Yeah,” said Samantha. “We want to move closer to New Jericho though. Connor has to stay overnight there sometimes and he doesn’t like it when I’m left alone.”</p><p>“The neighborhood is affordable, but at the cost of security,” said Connor as he stood up from emptying out the bags. “Crime statistics there are significantly higher than in North End which was what we had originally intended.”</p><p>“You could just stay here if you wanted,” said Kate. “I mean we’ve got a second bedroom even if it is just a mattress on the floor.”</p><p>Samantha threw a glance at Connor, then lowered her head as she smiled so that her strawberry blond hair fell over her shoulder. “No, no we couldn’t do that. We’re perfectly capable of getting a place of our own if we just take the time to look. Plus I wouldn’t want to intrude on your privacy.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t be,” said Simon. He paused to look up at them from the bags. “We hid deviants in here for months before the liberation. And there isn’t really much to hide in terms of ourselves.” He looked at Kate, and a nervous wave fell over him at the slight tension in her eyes. She straightened and avoided his gaze.</p><p>“Yeah,” she said. Then she smiled at Samantha in that forced manner and rested her hands on the counter. “We’ve got nothing to hide if you don’t.”</p><p>Connor gazed back and forth between everyone, his LED blinking yellow. Then he quickly reached down to pick up one of the smaller bags. “Our swimsuits are in here. Simon and I can set up the canopy outside while you two change.” Samantha looked up at him, her face pale.</p><p>“Change?” she said. “Right now?”</p><p>“I assume you will want to swim at some point,” said Connor. He threw a glance at Simon who seemed distracted fumbling with something in his pocket. “This is a recreational occasion,” he added.</p><p>“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” said Kate as she leaned back against the kitchen countertop. “I mean, I’m not swimming.”</p><p>“You’re not swimming?” said Samantha. “You at least have to put on your swimsuit.” She moved forward and took the bag from Connor before bringing it back to the counter and rifling through it. She straightened with her own purple swimsuit. “See what Connor got for me?”</p><p>Kate nodded impressively as Sam held the swimsuit against herself. “Not bad, Connor. I woulda thought you’d try to put her in like a scuba suit or something.”</p><p>“He almost did,” said Samantha, throwing a tense glance at Connor behind her. She dug her hand into the bag again. “And this is what Simon got for you.”</p><p>Kate’s eyes brightened in horror as Samantha produced the yellow swimsuit from the bag. Samantha held it out to her, then paused when she noticed the expression on Kate’s face. For a while, no one spoke. </p><p>“You got me─ a <em> swimsuit?” </em> said Kate. Simon was still kneeling at the bags, and he smiled widely as he scratched the back of his neck.</p><p>“It’s a modest design, Kate,” he said.</p><p>“It’s yellow,” said Kate.</p><p>“I promise you won’t look like a stripper in it.”</p><p>“It’s yellow.”</p><p>“You should at least try it on before you criticize it,” said Samantha, giving Kate a perturbed stare. “And maybe say thank you.”</p><p>Kate’s mouth dropped open as if to retaliate. Then she closed it again, her eyes wide. She took the swimsuit from Samantha and felt the fabric in her fingers. The geometric cuts caught her attention and she immediately looked at Simon with a terrified energy in her eyes. She made a noise, then tilted her head to the side as her expression calmed. “Thanks, Simon.”</p><p>Simon breathed a small laugh, then stood up with the bag containing the canopy. “You’re welcome Kate.” He threw a glance at Connor to get his attention. “We can set this up on the deck where I’ve put the chairs.” He moved through the living space towards the sliding doors which opened into the boat pier. Connor hesitated a moment, then looked at Samantha with a strange longing in his eyes.</p><p>“I’ll be right back,” he said.</p><p>“Take your time,” said Samantha, smiling up at him. “We’ve got all day.”</p><p>Connor stared at her, his LED blinking off and on. Then he gave his head a shake and followed Simon through the double doors onto the pier. Samantha frowned as she watched him leave.</p><p>“I didn’t… um…”</p><p>Samantha looked at Kate who was still feeling the fabric of the yellow swimsuit through her fingers, her brows furrowed. “I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch,” said Kate. “It just happens sometimes. It’s something I’m working on, but if you notice it don’t be afraid to call me out on it.”</p><p>Samantha shrugged her shoulders. “He went out of his way to get you something that he thought was nice for you. It just seems kind of─” She tilted her head to the side. “─yeah, bitchy to complain when he does something nice for you.”</p><p>Kate’s eyes narrowed further, as she braced herself in preparation for a decent answer. Then she let out a heavy sigh, her face tensing in powerful shame. Samantha turned to face her fully.</p><p>“Look, it’s none of my business what you and Simon do in your relationship,” she said quickly. “You obviously love eachother and he doesn’t seem to take it seriously when you do that, so I really shouldn’t be prying like this anyway. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kate stared at the countertop, her face still drawn in deep remorse. “I think he takes it more seriously than he lets on.”</p><p>Samantha watched her for a moment, then set her elbows down on the counter. “Has he told you he does?”</p><p>“No, and that’s kind of the problem,” said Kate. “He’s been… distant.” She looked to the side even though Simon and Connor were out of sight. “He’s talking to me less and less, avoiding me like he’s terrified of me, and he zones out. Like he’s trying to be anywhere else but here. I mean, I know how I am and I used to be a hell of a lot worse.” Kate pressed a frustrated hand to her eyes and rubbed with her thumb and index finger. “I just think maybe how I am is finally getting to him.”</p><p>“You should tell him that,” said Samantha. “Seriously if it’s worrying you that much, he needs to know so you can both work through it.”</p><p>Kate dropped her hand and raised her eyebrows in despair. “I can’t get him to stay put long enough to listen to what I have to say. He swears constantly that it’s not me, but he won’t tell me what’s bothering him. And it’s shitty things like this…” She motioned in the air as if she was bringing back the events of a few moments ago. “...they make me think he’s hoping for something better.” She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead as she closed her eyes. “He deserves better.”</p><p>“Only if you don’t have any intentions to improve,” said Samantha, focusing on her. “He fell in love with you for a reason. If you say you were worse then you’re obviously getting better so I doubt that’s his issue. Plus I get the impression he kind of likes it when you get bitchy at him. You both seem to complete eachother.”</p><p>Kate let out a soft laugh and shook her head. “Not like how you and Connor complete eachother. I didn’t know two people could be so… compatible.”</p><p>“We’re not perfect either, before you start comparing your relationship to ours,” said Samantha. “You have to put the work into it and be willing to compromise. There are things that I’d have differently but as long as Connor is happy, I’m happy. And vice versa.”</p><p>“You guys seem like an actual couple though,” said Kate. She smiled miserably. “I mean if there was ever a way of being in a relationship with an android and getting it right, you guys have made it.”</p><p>“There are always going to be things that complicate the relationship,” said Samantha. She fiddled with the container of strawberries as she thought of the way Connor had been acting since the glitches started. “Things will start to bother you that didn’t before, and you’ll have to find different ways of making it work. Connor and I are always having to figure things out, even now.”</p><p>Kate narrowed her eyes and let out a laugh through her nose as she looked at her. “Like what?” She’d stated it bluntly, but when Samantha stared at her with wide eyes, Kate immediately straightened. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that. Forget I said it.”</p><p>“No, it’s fine, it’s just…” Samantha set the strawberries down. “I mean, right now I’m actually giving Connor a bit of space while he sorts through a glitch with his software. I don’t want to, it makes me feel a little unwanted, but it’s what I have to do to make him comfortable. And if it starts to bother me then I’ll let him know.”</p><p>Kate watched her for a moment. “Is it bothering you?”</p><p>Samantha shrugged. “Maybe a little bit. But like I said. I’ll let him know.” She absent-mindedly grabbed for her swimsuit to focus on something else. “I at least genuinely like the swimsuit he picked out for me.”</p><p>“I didn’t─ <em> look.” </em> Kate clutched the yellow swimsuit in her fist. “Simon did it on purpose. He knows how much I hate yellow but because it was my favorite color as a kid, he insists everything I own and wear has to be yellow.”</p><p>“Does it make him happy?” said Samantha. Kate clenched her teeth as she stared at her, fighting down the frustration that brewed in her chest.</p><p>“Yes.” Kate let out a sigh, then unfolded the swimsuit. “Fine I guess I’ll try it on. I’ll put mine on in the bathroom so you can use our room if you want. It’s got a mirror in it. The bathroom doesn’t have one yet.”</p><p>“Thanks,” said Sam, holding the swimsuit against her chest. Kate moved towards the stairs, and Sam followed her.</p><p>“Oh and if you see a big lump of fur in there, just shove him to the side,” said Kate. “His name’s Spot.”</p><p> </p><p>- - - - -</p><p> </p><p>The view of the river was spectacular from the deck which was bathed in full sunlight now that it was past midday. With the wind picking up, waves began to form along the surface and disturb the clear water into ripples of white and deep blue which flashed in constant motion. The activity lapped against the edge of the deck and became lost underneath, clapping dully into the polymer structure and making it rise and fall with the water. It was easy to become disoriented in the minor turbulence, but the androids hardly noticed as they worked in an unnerving synchronicity.</p><p>“Thank you for getting this,” said Simon as he clipped the black metal rods together. “We still haven’t covered this area yet since we rarely spend time out here. Kate’s afraid of the water.”</p><p>Connor threw a confused glance at him. He gathered the legs of the canopy together before moving to the rest of the framework. “What is she afraid of? There are no animals in this environment capable of causing humans significant harm.”</p><p>“She doesn’t like how big it is,” said Simon. He handed Connor a completed metal rod and Connor attached it to the frame. “She said she can’t ignore the feeling that there are monsters just below the surface.”</p><p>“One method of overcoming a phobia is through exposure therapy,” said Connor as he looked down at the lapping water. “Living so close to what she is afraid of should have cured her fears by now.”</p><p>“It hasn’t,” said Simon. “As of two weeks ago, she is still very uncomfortable being in the water.”</p><p>“How do you know?” said Connor. Simon froze, then gazed around. The deck stretched the length of the south wing, and from where they were it would be very difficult for Samantha and Kate to hear them. Still, he lowered his voice as he returned to his work.</p><p>“I tested it,” said Simon. Connor smiled.</p><p>“Tested it how?”</p><p>A wide grin spread on Simon’s face. “I threw her in.”</p><p>Connor doubled over slightly as he laughed. “I take it she wasn’t very happy.”</p><p>“It’s hard to tell sometimes,” said Simon. “I thought she’d be furious and she was. Except…” He sent Connor a short video and Connor nearly dropped the frame he was holding. Connor scrambled to organize it all, his LED blinking frantically.</p><p>“That’s─ I─ what I mean is─”</p><p>“Thank you?” said Simon. He stood up with another completed leg, the smile still on his face. “Without that file you sent me, things probably would have gone the other direction. Not that I haven’t used my mouth like that but─” He stopped when he noticed Connor was still frozen, his LED blinking. Simon tilted his head. “Connor? Are you alright?”</p><p>Connor was silent. Simon lowered his gaze nervously and immediately went back to work.</p><p>“I’m sorry if that was too much transparency,” said Simon. “I think sometimes I share too much information than I probably should.”</p><p>“It’s not that,” said Connor. He gave his head a quick shake to clear it. “The… update. I’m still having issues related to the new hardware. It’s getting more frequent and severe.”</p><p>Simon narrowed his eyes as he looked at him. “The glitch? The one you mentioned yesterday?” When Connor nodded, Simon lowered what he’d been working on and gave Connor his full attention. “Have you disabled the device and suspended the related programs?”</p><p>“I did last night after I reinstalled it,” said Connor. “My diagnostic program isn’t identifying the source of the problem. I may need to visit CyberLife again and have maintenance work done.”</p><p>“You mean have the hardware removed?” said Simon. “You shouldn’t have to do that. How exactly is the issue manifesting?”</p><p>“At first it seemed like my system was hitching,” said Connor. “But yesterday when I was with Samantha, my sensory data was lost. I witnessed a complete shutdown of all my processes, yet I was still aware. I counted a three second lapse during the time I was locked. Samantha didn’t notice.” He shook his head and his eyebrows narrowed. “I don’t want to have to tell her, yet my only solution seems to be in avoiding all physical contact with her. It’s as though when I lose focus, it triggers the glitch.”</p><p>Simon was watching him in concerned interest. He set the frame down and moved towards him. “Why don’t you take my program instead?”</p><p>Connor blinked. “Your program?”</p><p>“Yes, it’s the same version,” said Simon. “You should uninstall what you have and take mine instead. Then at least you can be confident that it’s not the hardware.”</p><p>Connor couldn’t help his smile. “You really don’t want me to go back to CyberLife, do you?”</p><p>“No, I don’t.”</p><p>Connor laughed despite himself. Then he quickly organized all the files and software he’d received from CyberLife the day before, and promptly deleted them. He looked at Simon who was watching him in quiet anticipation. He held his hand out to him. “This feels somewhat like a violation,” he said.</p><p>“It’s only gay if you experience the glitch immediately afterwards,” said Simon, throwing him a sideways smile before taking his hand. Their skin turned white, and Simon passed the information through the interface. He also took the time to use his own diagnostic program as limited as it was, though it couldn’t identify any issues in Connor’s software. He assisted installing the software, then released Connor from the interface. Connor’s LED blinked yellow as he tested the new programs.</p><p>“Anything?” said Simon. Connor shook his head. Simon let out a soft sigh. “I don’t know if I should be offended.”</p><p>Connor laughed. “Not that I don’t adore you, Simon, but I think Kate might resent it if you left her for me.”</p><p>“I don’t want to destroy <em> your </em> hopes, Connor,” said Simon, “but I would never leave Kate for you.” He gazed to the side as he rested his hand on his pocket again. His smile faded. “I would never leave her.”</p><p>Connor watched him a moment, glancing at Simon’s hand. “I hope you wouldn’t, given your situation.”</p><p>Simon rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not a situation yet.”</p><p>Connor carefully began to clip the legs onto the frame of the canopy. “You know, this affects me as well. And Samantha. I’d like to think we’ve grown very close and if you need my help with this I’d be more than willing. Samantha would gladly talk to Kate as well if you wanted.”</p><p>“Does Samantha know?” said Simon. He moved to the opposite side of the frame and attached the second leg.</p><p>“I haven’t told her, as you requested,” said Connor. “I still don’t know why you don’t want her to know. I’m sure she’d be more than pleased with it.”</p><p>“I know she would, it’s just…” Simon sighed and paused what he was doing. “I’m not sure if I should just forget the whole thing. Every time I’m near Kate it’s all I can think about. I think about how long we’ve been together, how difficult it was at the beginning and how hard we worked to reach this level of comfort. And then I think about how close I am to losing it all.”</p><p>“You’re focusing on the negative possibilities,” said Connor. “As per usual, you’re overthinking and frightening yourself to inaction. Kate seemed somewhat distressed when we arrived.  Did you have another argument this morning?”</p><p>Simon sighed and lowered his gaze to the deck. “She knows I’m hiding something from her. She asked me about it again and it sounds as if she’s afraid I’m planning to leave her. I don’t─” He rubbed his eyes with one hand. “I don’t know how to convince her that I would never do that. I wish I could make her fear go away. Her fear and mine, so that I could just… do what I need to do.”</p><p>“I have an easy solution for that,” said Connor as he grabbed the cover for the canopy. He threw Simon a bemused look. “Do it.”</p><p>Simon closed his eyes, then let out a miserable laugh. He ran a hand over his face before reaching up to help Connor fit the cover onto the frame. “It sounds so simple and yet impossible at the same time.”</p><p>“You’re making it impossible,” said Connor. “If I could, I would do it for you. But it might be inappropriate coming from me.” He stepped back to analyze the fully constructed canopy. “Also, I don’t think I would last a day alone with Kate. Not that I wouldn’t enjoy it but she might become so aggravated by my inability to care what she thinks that she’d drown herself in the river.”</p><p>“She’s fairly powerless when it comes to that,” said Simon. He moved forward and began shifting the chairs under the canopy. “Or at least it doesn’t have the same effect. There’s a kind of thrill in it for me, knowing I can push her to those extremes and test my own survival. It makes me feel alive.”</p><p>“I feel alive when I can hold Samantha in my arms and know that I’ve done everything in my power to keep her safe,” said Connor. “My purpose has been fulfilled, and the reward comes from earning her love. There’s no need to push her to extremes because she’s able to experience life to the fullest when she’s happy. When she’s happy, I’m happy. She reminds me of it when she is.” He gave Simon a light smirk, and Simon smiled back at him.</p><p>“So she probably wouldn’t respond the same way if I threw her into the river,” said Simon. Connor narrowed his eyes at him.</p><p>“Your manner of expressing affection might… ah… <em> perturb </em> her. Not that she wouldn’t appreciate it but after a while she might be tempted to set the apartment on fire while you’re in stasis.”</p><p>Simon laughed. “I do enjoy playing with fire.” He held his hand up to the sun, measuring the temperature. “But only when I know I can survive it.”</p><p>Connor gazed up at the sun as well. “The UV index is high today.”</p><p>“On the high side of four,” said Simon. “I assume you brought an appropriate arsenal of sunscreen.”</p><p>“We packed a variety of different lotions,” said Connor. His LED abruptly flashed yellow. “We should be fine as long as she doesn’t receive burns.”</p><p>Simon stared at him a moment, his smile growing wider. “Did you prepare for that?”</p><p>Connor quickly shook his head, and Simon let out a laugh.</p><p>“I’ve got aloe upstairs,” said Simon. “And a first-aid kit if you’re that worried.”</p><p>“Could you─” Connor stopped himself, but Simon understood.</p><p>“I’ll be right back,” said Simon.</p><p>
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</p><p>- - - - -</p><p>
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</p><p>There was an unnerving sense of exposure standing in Simon and Kate’s room which was surprisingly empty. Samantha tried and failed not to curiously examine her surroundings as she set her clothes on the dresser which featured a large mirror. It faced the bed which was framed in white PVC matching the rest of the furniture in the room, giving everything a sleek and clean appearance. Her first thought was that it would be incredibly difficult to keep free of dust, but then she considered that Simon being a domestic model had something to do with the fact that the room was utterly spotless. There was no other furniture in the room, and the only pop of color came from a bundle of orange fur which was lying motionless on the bed.</p><p>The only other home that she’d been in which belonged to a human and android couple was Angela’s and Derek’s home in Chicago. It had been nearly a year since she’d set foot inside, and though the dynamic was very similar, Samantha couldn’t help but notice how much more obvious it was that an android lived here. The CyberLife impact was written in everything including the shape of the furniture which was nearly featureless in its design. Connor’s and Samantha’s own apartment was suited to Samantha’s lifestyle since she was the only one who cooked, slept, and used the bathroom. She silently wondered if Connor had any particular taste in decor, or if he took Samantha’s lead in creating opinions for himself.</p><p>Samantha removed her shirt and carefully folded it before setting it on the dresser. As she did, the cat arched from his curled up position, stretching his paws out in front of him and quivering as he stretched. Samantha watched the cat in the mirror, a helpless smile growing on her face. She turned around to pet him, and stopped suddenly when she saw the little blue circle on the cat’s temple. The cat looked up at her and gave a small mew before standing up and stretching his back legs. She didn’t know why it was so important that she’d never seen an android cat before, or why it even made a difference whether the cat was an android or not. Her eyes fell on the bed itself, and a strange feeling crept over her. Simon and Kate slept in that bed. They had more than likely done other things in it as well. A human and android living in harmony, struggling to find compatibility in a world that was only just coming to terms with the fact that androids could think and feel anything at all. Samantha and Connor had found that so naturally. But she couldn’t help the miserable thought that there were things about Connor that she would never fully understand. Things that had the potential to erase everything they’d built for eachother.</p><p>She opened the top of the purple swimsuit as she removed the rest of her clothing, and stepped into the lavender bottom. As she reached for the top, the seam in her right arm caught her attention. She immediately covered it as though someone had seen it, and a wave of helplessness fell over her at the reaction. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. It seemed such a strange hypocrisy that she was so self-conscious of the fact that her arm was a bionic prosthetic, yet the man she was in love with was an android. As she lowered her hand to analyze the seam again, she knew she had pride in describing her relationship with Connor as opposed to explaining why she needed a prosthetic arm. Connor was a different being entirely, able to make his own decisions, defend himself, and create his own sense of meaning. Despite the arm being attached to her and in no way similar to the living, functioning being that Connor was, there was no way Samantha could argue that she felt she had any control over the bionic that was a part of her own body.</p><p>There was a click, and the ominous sensation of space opening up. Her disturbing thoughts crashed to a halt at the sound. Samantha jerked to her left, and felt an electrified panic ignite through her as Simon froze in the doorway.</p><p>For what seemed an eternity, neither of them moved. Simon’s mouth was open in pure shock, his LED spinning red. Samantha had reacted instantly to cover herself, and realized too late that she had stupidly slapped her hand over the seam in her arm. She let out a shriek as she frantically brought her arms up over her exposed breasts.</p><p>Simon’s system seemed to lock up in a belligerent need to be anywhere but there. He stumbled back slightly as he tried to twist and move at the same time, finding an ineffective solution of slamming his forehead against the doorframe.</p><p>“I’m─” Simon saw half a dozen warnings flash by as he fumbled for the doorknob, Samantha’s frantic shrieks still ringing through the room. “─sorry.”</p><p>It took him far too long to find purchase on the handle before he managed to back out of the room and close the door behind him.</p><p>The silence was a brief welcome as Simon attempted to manage the chaos in his system. Then the door flew open across the hall, and he looked up in time for a new wave of bewilderment to fall over him.</p><p>Kate moved towards him, her face drawn in utter panic. “Shit─ oh shit, Simon I <em> totally </em> wasn’t thinking!”</p><p>Simon didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was staring at her body, the geometric design of her yellow swimsuit creating sensual patterns that defined the angle of her hips and breasts in a way that was somehow more stunning than if she was wearing nothing at all. The slit across the fabric on her chest opened to a modest display of her cleavage that would have been hidden in an otherwise sporty swimsuit. Simon couldn’t help but feel as if the view she was presenting him with was far more forbidden than what he’d just accidentally witnessed. Despite himself, his software automatically processed dimension and size comparisons.</p><p>Kate pressed a frantic hand to his face as she neared and ran her thumb over his cheek. When he didn’t respond, she leaned against the bedroom door. “Sam? Sam, are you okay?”</p><p>There was a moment of pure silence. Then Samantha’s muffled voice leaked through the closed door. “‘M fine.”</p><p>Kate sighed heavily and looked at Simon. He was still frozen in a kind of blank stupor, his LED spinning a nervous red. Kate brought her other hand up to cup his face as she gazed at him. “Simon? God I’m so sorry, I didn’t think you’d be up here. I just told Sam to use our room because it’s got the mirror and I thought you were busy downstairs… are you alright? Simon?”</p><p>He gave his head a shake and met her eyes. His LED calmed to yellow, and he swallowed. “I─ you put it on.”</p><p>She narrowed her eyes at him as she processed his words. Then she looked down at her swimsuit and laughed. “Yeah. Yeah, I put on the window bikini.”</p><p>Simon opened his mouth to reply but froze at the sound of crashing down below. Footsteps thundered up the stairway and Connor suddenly burst around the corner, his face lit in fierce focus and his pistol drawn.</p><p>“Samantha?” He slowed as he approached. “Where is she?”</p><p>“Jesus Christ, Connor!” Kate wrapped her arms around Simon’s waist as if that would protect him. “Put the gun down! Sam’s fine. She’s just changing.”</p><p>The bedroom door opened and Samantha appeared. She’d thrown her shirt over the top piece of her bathing suit, and her face was a bright red. She stared at the floor as she moved forward. “It’s okay, Connor,” she mumbled. “It was an accident.”</p><p>Connor immediately pulled her into him, wrapping his arms over her shoulders and resting his chin on her head. He closed his eyes. “I heard you scream.”</p><p>“Yeah, I was an idiot and didn’t even consider that Simon might go into our room while Sam was changing,” said Kate, throwing another exasperated glance at Simon. She moved in front of him and waved her hand over his face. “Simon? Shit, Simon are you okay?”</p><p>Connor reached out and touched Simon’s arm, the skin of both androids melting away for a moment. Then he drew his hand back, staring at Simon’s completely blank face.</p><p>“He’s alright,” said Connor. “He’s simply going through an emergency system reboot.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to TyChou for letting me write this dumb fiction which I'm loving so much. Connor and Simon bring out the perverts in eachother whenever they get together. They're going to leave Samantha and Kate behind at this rate.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Under the Surface</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p>It was several minutes before Samantha’s face returned to its natural color. She waged a small war with Connor over the pistol before Connor agreed to leave it in the bag of clothing in the spare bedroom. Then another small battle was fought over his clothes. After changing into his blue swim shorts, Connor awkwardly tried to negotiate keeping his red tie and dress shirt on. By the time Samantha’s exasperation over the events in Simon’s and Kate’s room had worn away, Connor’s tie was also in the bag, and his dress shirt was unbuttoned.</p><p>Kate stayed with Simon until he rebooted. It took a while of concerned questioning before she felt comfortable leaving him alone to change into his green trunks, and she descended the stairs to wait in the living room with Samantha and Connor. When Simon finally appeared, he nervously avoided Samantha’s gaze as Connor diligently applied sun lotion to her shoulders. Samantha smiled.</p><p>“I’m not mad at you, Simon,” she said. “It was just a mistake. I get it.”</p><p>“I’ve already deleted the video footage from my memory,” said Simon as he leaned back against the arm of the couch. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I just want you and Connor to know that.”</p><p>“You didn’t need to do that, Simon,” said Connor. His LED blinked red as Samantha quickly looked in his direction, and he straightened. “But thank you for your consideration. That was kind of you.”</p><p>After Samantha helped Kate pull her messy brown hair into an equally messy bun, the group made their way outside. Samantha held onto her elbow almost by instinct as they moved under the shade of the canopy on the dock. Connor couldn’t help but notice this, and he stayed close to her right side in an attempt to help conceal her arm and ease her worries. Kate seemed to hover at the back as though hesitant to approach the edge of the dock. She folded her arms across her chest and rested her shoulder against the side of the boat house as she watched Simon meticulously shift a chair out of the sun. He looked up at her, and she failed at hiding her smile.</p><p>“Why are you wearing a t-shirt?” she said. Simon narrowed his eyes questioningly at her. He made a dejected noise and pointed at Connor who was still wearing his dress shirt. Kate let out a laugh and shook her head. “Yeah, well Connor’s weird.”</p><p>“He’s taking it off right now,” said Samantha, looking directly at Connor. His face grew stern. They had a silent staring argument before Connor finally rolled his shoulder back and removed the white shirt, though he held it in front of him as if attempting to hide his shorts. It was enough for Samantha, and she moved to the edge of the dock to gaze at the lapping water below.</p><p>“Alright, your turn,” said Kate.</p><p>“Will you come over here if I do?” said Simon. He let out a sigh and reached over his head to grasp his shirt at the nape, dragging the shirt off of himself. Kate looked away from him, chewing on her bottom lip. Simon gave her a reassuring glance as he set his folded shirt down next to the chair and moved towards her. “Kate, you know I won’t force you to get in the water like that again. That was a cruel thing to do and I’m sorry.”</p><p>Kate looked up at him, her expression softened. “Do you mean that?”</p><p>“Connor and I were talking and…” Simon turned to look at Connor who was adjusting the waist of his swim shorts as if it would make them baggier. “I realize I set you off sometimes. I haven’t really given you much of a reason to trust me lately.” He looked at the ground and drew his shoulders up. “I want to make you comfortable. That starts with being honest. Both ways.” He gazed at her, his eyebrows drawn in concern. “Can you trust me?”</p><p>Kate narrowed her eyes in stunned disbelief as she felt a wave of awe wash over her. She nodded and brushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Simon smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she moved forward under the canopy.</p><p>“Maybe you can make good on that and finally tell me what the hell has been on your mind─” Kate let out a sharp yelp as Simon scooped his arm under her knees, and she fell back onto his other arm as he lifted her up. Her heart was already racing as he moved towards the edge of the dock. “Simon! No!” She clutched at his shoulders as she scrambled helplessly. “Don’t you fucking─ <em> Simon!” </em></p><p>She had a last glimpse of his wide grin as he did a quick spin, launching her through the air. She screamed loudly, flailing helplessly as she sailed in an arch, then plunged into the cool water below.</p><p>Simon nodded and smiled at the rising bubbles. He rested his hands on his waist. “She’s going to kill me for that─” He let out a grunt as Connor’s arms locked around his shoulder and thigh, and then Simon was suddenly flying through the air as Connor launched him several dozen feet to land beyond where Kate had surfaced noisily.</p><p>Samantha doubled over with laughter. Connor stood motionless at the edge of the dock as Kate furiously splashed a jet of water in Simon’s direction, shrieking something incoherent at him.</p><p>“Connor, I can’t believe you did that!” said Samantha through her gasps. When she managed to straighten somewhat, Connor was looking at her with a strange energy in his eyes. She immediately backed away from him. “Oh god. You’d better not!”</p><p>He moved towards her quickly and she grasped his arms as he hoisted her against his waist. Before he could throw her in, she locked her legs around him and the motion set him off balance. He let out a sharp groan, wobbling slightly. Samantha was laughing as they both tipped over and fell into the water with a loud splash.</p><p>Samantha had never been in water this open and clear before. As she rose to the surface, the bubbles created diamond-shaped rippling white lines over every object against the blue background. She broke the surface of the water and drew in a deep breath, paddling against the waves. Then hands slid around her waist and she was lifted up higher.</p><p>She gripped Connor’s arms as she twisted into him. “I can’t─ what made you want to do that?” she said. Connor’s expression was blank.</p><p>“It’s all in good fun,” he said.</p><p>“Fun?”</p><p>“A mild threat of death,” he said. “Do you feel more alive?”</p><p>“You’ve been learning from Simon again, haven’t you?” said Samantha. She looked over the lapping water which was easy for her to do since she was nestled in the crook of Connor’s arm. She could just make out splashing heading in the direction of the pier, and the flail of arms as Kate swam. There was a shriek as Kate was pulled under. She resurfaced a moment later, screaming.</p><p>Samantha smiled and made to move, though Connor’s grip kept her in place. She looked down at him. “I know how to swim, you know.”</p><p>“This is safer,” he said. “And… preferable.”</p><p>“How are you floating like this anyway?” Samantha craned to look further under the water. Connor’s arms and legs barely moved.</p><p>“I have a buoyancy setting which allows me to either sink or float,” said Connor. “Naturally, androids should sink because they contain metal and have no need for air besides what we intake for temperature regulation. Otherwise we can also transition to liquid-based cooling.”</p><p>“Do you have a propeller too?” said Samantha. Connor tilted his head at her.</p><p>“I don’t think I’ll grace that with an answer,” he said.</p><p>“Fine.” Samantha settled onto his arm, her knees hooked onto his shoulder as if she were sitting in a chair. She pointed. “Propel me that direction.”</p><p>Connor swam towards the frantic splashing. Simon had surfaced, and Kate was furiously scrambling onto his shoulders, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms around his head.</p><p>“─huge. I don’t care what you say, the only place we haven’t explored is the water and─ fuck!” Kate’s arms flung out as Simon suddenly descended. There was silence, then Kate emerged again with a sharp breath of air and began swimming for the pier again. She let out a yelp and twisted as she was halted in place. “Simon! You’re going to fucking drown me!”</p><p>Samantha couldn’t help but watch in fascinated joy as Simon appeared, tossing his head to shake the water free from his hair before pulling Kate into him by the ankles. She scrambled to push him away, letting out a muffled cry when he pulled her leg up and she fell backwards below the surface. Finally, Kate drew herself up into a tiny ball as Simon brought her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She stared straight ahead, her face drawn in a stubborn scowl as Simon smiled and pressed his cheek against her forehead.</p><p>“I hate you,” Kate mumbled.</p><p>“Don’t be such a killjoy,” said Samantha. She leaned slightly against Connor’s head and ran her hand through his hair, relishing in their own mutual affection. “It’s all in good fun.”</p><p>Simon cast a glance at Connor, a smirk pulling at his lips. Connor returned it.</p><p>“There’s… <em> things </em> in the water,” said Kate, flicking the water as if it were contaminated. “Catfish the size of cars and snakes and shit. And sharks.”</p><p>“There are no sharks in the Detr─” Connor paused when Kate raised a finger at him.</p><p>“Bull sharks,” she said. She opened up as Simon released her. “Bull sharks can live in fresh water.” Simon gave a skeptical smile behind her and shook his head.</p><p>“The nearest oceanic outlet is one-thousand four hundred and eighty-three miles away,” said Connor in a forced robotic tone. “Though Zambezi sharks have been known to swim several hundred miles inland from the ocean, they’ve never reached as far as Michigan. The nearest shark was caught in the Ohio River twenty four years ago.” He watched as Simon submerged again.</p><p>“My point is there’s shit in the water that you can’t know about unless you drained the water away, and whatever is in the deepest part can come up to the shallows so─” Kate sucked in a sharp gasp and her eyes went wide as she twisted in the water. She looked down. “Cut it out!”</p><p>“Except both the lake and the river have been scanned numerous times and not a single animal larger than a sturgeon has been discovered,” said Connor. “Would you like me to scan this general area?”</p><p>“Why?” said Kate, and she jerked as if kicking something below her. “You think that’ll make me feel better?”</p><p>“Logic doesn’t exactly have the desired effect with you,” said Connor. “I was merely making a suggestion so you would know that I can.”</p><p>“You know where you can shove your suggestion?” She jerked again and flapped her arms as she was pulled down. “Stop!”</p><p>“I assume up my ass,” said Connor.</p><p>Samantha let out a shocked laugh and looked down at the top of his head. “Connor!”</p><p>He tilted his head to look up at her. “It’s a common metaphor,” he said. “For something that only has use as a base sexual object while also implying that I enjoy homosexual intercourse.”</p><p>“Good, then you know I don’t have to explain why your logic is bull─” She let out a yelp as she rose from the water, scrambling to stay balanced as Simon rose underneath her and carried her on his shoulders. She clutched his blond hair and wobbled, crossing her legs around his neck in an effort to keep from falling. “Christ! What are you doing?”</p><p>Simon glanced up at her. “Protecting you from sharks,” he said. He began to drop down into the water. “Unless you’d rather swim with them.”</p><p>“No! No, wait.” Kate hunched and wrapped an arm around his forehead. Her expression grew sour. “This is better.”</p><p>“Great, now we both have boats,” said Samantha, running another hand through Connor’s hair. He practically vibrated from the sensation. “Android boats. We should give them names.”</p><p>“How about Deep Shit,” said Kate, looking down at Simon. She glanced up at Connor. “And Microsoft’s Sam.”</p><p>Connor tilted his head. “Are you implying something about the way I speak?”</p><p>“You sound like Alexa ordering paper towels,” said Kate. Connor made a face, and his LED spun yellow.</p><p>“Well it… isn’t nothing but a thing,” he said.</p><p>Everyone stared at him. Samantha let out a shocked laugh. <em> “What?” </em></p><p>“It isn’t a thing,” said Connor.</p><p>“It ain’t nothing but a thang?” Samantha breathed out a laugh. “Connor, did you just try to use slang?”</p><p>“For schnitzel,” said Connor. Kate kicked a jet of water at him.</p><p>“Stop trying to sound cool. You’re going to blow a circuit.”</p><p>“Hey!” Samantha flung an arch of water back at her. “Don’t be mean to my boat!”</p><p>“Tell your boat that he’s not trendy,” said Kate, kicking water at her. Samantha flinched to the side before squaring herself up.</p><p>“Connor, move forward,” she said. “And whatever happens, don’t defend me.”</p><p>“You don’t want to do this, Sam,” said Kate as Connor crept towards her. Samantha lunged forward, catching Kate’s hands as Kate attempted to block her. The two girls wobbled and nearly fell several times as they each tried to pull the other down. Then Kate grabbed Samantha’s leg, pulling it upwards. Connor scrambled as Samantha let out a high shriek and fell backwards over his shoulder into the water.</p><p>Kate let out a whoop as Connor frantically pulled Samantha above the surface. “It ain’t nothin’ but a thang,” said Kate, making a punkish gesture to herself with both hands.</p><p>Connor looked up at her, a sharp focus written on his face. Kate’s smug expression sank, and before she could even attempt to defend herself, Connor grabbed her ankle and flipped it up. Kate wailed as she backflipped off of Simon’s shoulders, disappearing in an explosion of water. For a moment, Simon and Connor simply stared at eachother in silent anticipation. Then Simon darted forward, locking his arm around Connor’s neck as he attempted to pull him down below the choppy waves.</p><p>He made a few solid attempts, his effort growing weaker as Connor remained stationary. He finally slowed as he stared up in mild exasperation into Connor’s blank brown eyes. Connor placed one hand on Simon’s stomach, and then Simon was flying through the air leaving a waterfall arch behind him before he landed back in the water several feet away.</p><p>“At least my boyfriend can kick your boyfriend’s ass!” said Samantha. Connor was already scooping her back up again, and she held onto his shoulders as she drew her knees up sideways against his chest. “Don’t listen to her, Connor. I think you’re trendy.”</p><p>“You do?” said Connor, a hopeful tone in his voice. Samantha laughed.</p><p>“You can be pretty trendy sometimes,” said Samantha. She made a face. “But don’t feel like you need to change for other people. You should be however you want to be as long as it makes you happy. For your information, you’re perfect just the way you are.”</p><p>“I want to be perfect for you,” said Connor. “I always want to be better.”</p><p>Samantha wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “You are perfect for me no matter how you sound when you talk.”</p><p>He gently leaned back so that he was lying face-up on his back, and carried Samantha with him until she was up out of the water. She stretched out on him, lying comfortably against his chest as they floated. Several feet away, mad splashing broke the silence as Kate frantically curled herself into Simon, her legs drawn up and her hands gripping his shoulders. She stared down into the water.</p><p>“I saw it─ I fucking saw it.”</p><p>“What is it?” said Simon. Kate pointed.</p><p>“A fucking fish,” she muttered. “It was huge.”</p><p>Simon observed the water, spotting a small school of panfish a short distance from them. He shook his head. “Kate, you know exposure therapy would be good for you.”</p><p>“Isn’t this exposure therapy?” said Kate. “I’m in the water, I’m terrified, and it doesn’t feel good for me.”</p><p>“I mean seeing it for yourself,” said Simon. “There’s nothing down there. I can show you.”</p><p>“Oh no.” Kate shook her head. “I’m not swimming down into the murky abyss.”</p><p>“The water isn’t deep enough to diffuse the sunlight,” said Simon. “And it’s clear. This is a perfect opportunity to overcome your weakness. You don’t want to be like this forever, do you?”</p><p>“It won’t matter if I don’t have to get into the water again,” said Kate. Simon furrowed his eyebrows in a mild frown.</p><p>“Kate, don’t you want to improve?” he said.</p><p>His question caught her off guard, and for a moment she could only stare at him. Everything was on hold as she processed what he’d said in an unexpectedly different way. She ratcheted back, ready to deny it and maintain her defiance, but a part of her was urging her to seize this small chance to make any kind of difference, even if it was terrifying her.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes in determination and nodded. “Okay. Okay, fine. I’ll do it.”</p><p>Simon smiled in light shock. He sent a quick message to Connor, then moved closer into Kate as he wrapped his arms over her shoulders. “Hold on tight. It’s twenty feet down and your body will try to float.”</p><p>“Twenty feet?” Kate clutched his back, her heart pounding in nervousness. “I don’t think I can hold my breath that long.”</p><p>Simon turned his head, his nose brushing hers. When she looked at him, he had a soft energy in his blue eyes.</p><p>“I’ll help you,” he said. He adjusted himself. “Deep breath.”</p><p>Kate tried to control her hammering heart as she sucked in as much air as she could, then sank with Simon beneath the water’s surface.</p><p>Connor received the message just as Simon and Kate disappeared. He looked in their direction as if to confirm that he and Samantha were really alone. A deep peace drifted over him accompanied by the residual dread he’d been feeling since the previous day. There was still no real danger involved with the glitch, and he hadn’t activated the software related to it as a precaution. He was beginning to feel the effects of it as Samantha lay quietly on top of him, the soft feel of her disappointingly empty. He let out a long sigh, his hand drifting over the dip in her back. She shifted, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him.</p><p>“Connor?” She raised herself slightly. “Are you okay?”</p><p>He stared up at the sky. “I’ve been feeling some anxiety related to my software. I don’t want to reactivate it in case the glitch occurs again, yet disabling it has dulled some of my senses. It feels lacking.”</p><p>“Connor, we don’t need to stay if you’re uncomfortable,” said Samantha. “I’m sure Simon and Kate won’t mind if we leave. We could go to CyberLife and get you fixed.” She cocked her head to the side. “Under my supervision.”</p><p>Connor shook his head. “I’ve already uninstalled and reinstalled the software. Everything is fresh. I just haven’t activated it yet.”</p><p>“Why not?” said Samantha. Connor looked to the side.</p><p>“I wanted to tell you first,” he said. “Because I’ll need your help.”</p><p>“Doing what?” said Samantha. Connor looked down at her, his LED spinning yellow.</p><p>“Testing it.”</p><p> </p><p>Kate was holding onto Simon so tightly she thought his chassis would snap. It seemed forever that they were drifting down through the bubbles, the water pressure around her closing in as the water grew colder. She buried her face in Simon’s chest, and just as she was beginning to pray for the bottom, there was an inaudible thud as Simon touched the ground. An uncomfortable sense of depth surrounded them, and she immediately began to push away from him in an attempt to rise to the surface again. He pulled her back in, and she felt his hands on either side of her face. Her heart pounded as she frantically became aware that she needed air. Then his mouth was suddenly on hers, and she felt the cool familiar taste of oxygen in his mouth.</p><p>She breathed out, obscuring her vision with bubbles, and breathed in. There was a muffled hissing within Simon’s throat and Kate drew in a deep breath of air. As the panic faded, the realization sank in, and she held her breath as she moved back slightly to look at him. He had a sideways smile, his blue eyes unusually bright in the water, and his blond hair moved in soft waves with the current. Kate couldn’t help her own smile, and she moved into him for another breath of air before finally looking around her.</p><p>Everything was shimmering. She could faintly see the distant outline of underwater terrain fading into the cloudy aqua of the deep lake, its features growing clearer as it sloped up to where they were standing. The ground was patterned in deep gray rocks, worn smooth by the current and contrasted against the diamond-patterned light which rippled brightly. There was no vegetation. No mud or ominous dark abyss. It was breathtaking.</p><p>Kate let out a rumbling stream of bubbles, then turned and took Simon’s mouth again. She breathed for a few moments, then pulled away again to stare some more. There were speckled clouds drifting around them, and it took her a while to realize they were fish. Somehow being able to see them erased the usual eeriness they possessed when she was only aware of them beneath her. It was as if seeing them was giving her a new understanding of the world around her in a way she hadn’t been able to comprehend.</p><p>She turned back to Simon, noticing his warm expression as she moved in to take another breath. His lips closed against hers, and she felt a powerful longing grip her as she breathed him in. The weight of their issues had been pleasantly ignored since Samantha and Connor had arrived. They had been so caught up in the present that she hadn’t realized it until now. Simon was with her. Holding her tightly to him and giving himself to her. She suddenly needed him more than she ever had.</p><p>She brought her hand up to his neck as she pulled away enough to look carefully in his eyes. He gazed back at her, his face drawn in dawning focus. She touched her thumb to the side of his mouth, then pulled herself back in. This time she closed her mouth against his with greater purpose, pausing longer to absorb the feel of him. A patch of bubbles escaped her lips, and she moved into him again, feeling an electric thrill at the soft push of his tongue on hers. His hands were moving over her shoulders to draw her in further, and she pulled herself tightly into him, feeling more complete than she had in a long time.</p><p> </p><p>Samantha raised herself up into a straddle position on Connor’s stomach, brushing a loose lock of hair behind her ear as she gazed down at him. She rested her hands on his chest, and Connor supported her by gripping her thighs. He tried to ignore the uncomfortable lack of sensory information that usually accompanied a posture like this, though the anticipation of it was creating its own urgency. He calmed himself for the moment by taking in the feel of her on his waist and under his hands.</p><p>“Tell me what you need me to do,” she said.</p><p>Connor drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling himself relax into the water. “I need you to show me you love me,” he said.</p><p>Samantha narrowed her eyes. “Connor, wha─”</p><p>“Show me.” He reached up and took her hands, sliding them along his chest. “I need to feel it.”</p><p>His hands stopped but hers kept going, running along his neck and back down along his collarbones. Samantha shook her head slowly. “Connor, we shouldn’t be doing this out here.”</p><p>“This will be quick,” said Connor. “Simon and Kate won’t be back for several minutes. I can test the software and isolate the issue.”</p><p>“We should just go to CyberLife,” said Samantha. “If it’s a glitch like you said, they can fix it and replace the hardware.”</p><p>“There’s no need to go to CyberLife if I test it now,” said Connor. “Please, Samantha. Do this for me.”</p><p>Samantha opened her mouth, frozen on words at the sight of Connor gazing up at her with his pleading brown eyes. There was a desperate hope in him that she hadn’t seen in a while. As if he was missing something vital that only she could provide. Her thoughts fell on how he had looked at her that morning, and the strange hesitation he’d had the day before with her. As much as he wanted her now, she couldn’t deny that she was also burning for him. The thought of returning home and having this agonizing distance continue seemed unbearable. If this meant they could have a cathartic release, then it seemed a small price to pay.</p><p>She moved higher up onto his waist, still watching him carefully. Then her hands moved along his chest and up his neck, her thumbs grazing either side of his jaw. Connor breathed deeply, giving himself a moment to brace himself in this numbing void. Then he closed his eyes as he activated the programs.</p><p>His body tightened as a blinding electric thrill swept through him. It spread from where Samantha’s hands smoothed down his neck, crawling through his core and arranging itself deep inside of him. He arched himself up slightly, letting out a groan which finished in a sigh. His hands found their way to her legs and he felt along them up to her waist, drawing his hands back down again. Everything in him was engaged in this. All of his senses driven to taking in everything that she was doing to him. The feel of her. The sound of her hands against his skin. It was as though she were bringing him to life.</p><p>He pulled her down to him, his hands moving along her back as he closed his mouth against hers. Samantha drew up against him, sliding her hands into his hair and making him drop his head back in another soft groan as a wave of ecstasy flowed through him. All attention on the purpose of this had been forgotten. There was no other reason to be feeling this other than he needed it. He needed her.</p><p>He could feel her mouth on his neck, her hands drifting lower to his chest until they reached his power core. He held onto her hips as a powerful desire took over, and he pulled her pelvis down onto his waist at the first brush of her fingers over his power core. The way she arched up, a sharp breath leaving her coincided with the intense reaction in his biocomponents. He did it again, and soon she was moving with him, rolling her hips against him as her hand rubbed along his power core. Connor flexed his hands on her hips with each push and pull, the sensation manifesting itself in a way that made him feel as if it were happening very differently. He didn’t care if the programs weren’t working correctly. It didn’t matter if there was an occasional glitch. He needed to feel this with her until both of them rose so high above themselves they had no choice but to fall together.</p><p> </p><p>The bubbles roared around them as Kate took in each closing of Simon’s lips, the touch of his tongue on hers sending a numbing cascade of longing through her. She’d wrapped her legs around his waist in an effort to keep herself steady as she rose and fell with each breath in the water. At some point, Simon’s hand found its way to her chest, and she felt the smooth touch of his skin as he worked his hand through the slit in her swimsuit. She dropped her head back as he cupped her breast, and her voice was muffled by the torrent of bubbles that escaped her mouth as she let out a desperate breath.</p><p>She pulled herself back into him, tightening her legs around his waist and pressing her pelvis into him in a way that was hardly enough to satiate the pressure she was desperate for. Simon seemed to acknowledge it. His hand slipped from her breast, drawing down along her stomach until it reached the top of her swimsuit. A blinding anticipation burned through her as his fingers skipped over the fabric only to slide into the geometric cut at her groin. Her heart raced as his hand curved upwards, and then she clenched her eyes shut, a wild thrill pulling a moan from her at the slick push of his fingers against her sensitive nerves.</p><p>She panted into his mouth as he massaged her, his arm working and his shoulders drawn as she pulled herself closer into him. She clutched his loose blond hair, the bubbles boiling madly between them as her breathing quickened. Each soft motion sent waves of shocking pleasure through her, combining in her core as it prepared itself for release. Kate moaned into him, her nails digging into his shoulder as she clenched her fist. She could hardly believe how much she needed to feel this. As if his nervous reservation had left her so deprived that she was starving for proof that he still wanted her.</p><p>She let go of his mouth to breathe out a rising cascade of bubbles as she felt herself giving in. His movement was quickening, the muscles on his chest becoming more defined as he worked harder. She could feel the excitement in him. How tightly he was holding her against him and how every part of him was focused on delivering himself to her. She pressed her nose into his cheek, letting his motion rock her gently in the water. She wanted him to see her fall apart for him. To prove to him that she still wanted him more than anything else. Even if he changed his mind about loving her, she would at least do everything she could to show him how much she still loved him.</p><p> </p><p>A tension was settling somewhere in his midsection as Connor helped Samantha move against him. It was vaguely familiar in a way that his body wasn’t used to. Something he’d only experienced for a brief time long ago when he and Samantha were still clumsily discovering themselves. Samantha gasped above him as she rolled her pelvis into his waist, her eyes closed and her shoulders drawn up. Her hand moved along his power core with every drag of her hips, driving the ecstasy that was climbing within him. It took everything in him to hold her higher up on his waist, his hands locked on her hips. As the rising pleasure in his core grew, he felt it begin to take hold.</p><p>Samantha’s legs tightened on either side of his body, and she fell forward slightly only to catch herself on his chest. She was beginning to cry out. He could feel her losing control for him. Breathing heavily, he slid his hands along her sides and down to her legs, the sight of her loving him nearly pushing him over the edge. He clasped his hand over hers on his power core, and then her other hand made its way up along his chest to slide over his bared throat. The touch sent a numbing shiver through him and he felt his body seize as he felt his pleasure reach its peak. He let out a trembling gasp, and then fell into the euphoric release.</p><p>A sharp groan escaped him. The rush of ecstasy drained from him, causing his whole body to tighten at the sensation of it leaving him. It had never been this powerful. It was terrifying and wonderful at the same time. He felt himself drift away in the bliss of it, Samantha’s voice fading somewhere beyond his hearing. It felt surreal. Amazing.</p><p>And then he felt nothing at all.</p><p> </p><p>Kate held desperately onto the side of Simon’s neck as she breathed into his mouth, her moans gaining strength as his hand quickened in between her legs. His arm was around her shoulders holding her with him, and she felt him slide his fingers into her hair. She didn’t need to see the texture flow away down his hand leaving the bare plastic exposed, but she could feel it as a light buzzing sensation tingled her scalp. Simon released a torrent of bubbles and he moaned into her mouth, his hand clenching slightly in her hair. The sound of him surrendering to her pleasure sparked a burst of fire within her. She parted her knees and arched herself as she let the motion of Simon’s hand drive her into chaotic rapture.</p><p>The waves of euphoria blended into one, taking over every nerve in her body and rendering her weightless. She tilted her pelvis up into his palm, dropping her head back and clenching her eyes shut at the force of it. This was the only place she ever wanted to be. Wrapped up in him, completely at his mercy, and in utter ecstasy at his fingertips. The fire burned through her, fading into a pleasant aftershock. She let herself be carried by it, letting out a deep breath before drawing in again, and feeling a terrified jolt as her throat filled with water.</p><p>Her vision was immediately blurred. Everything was moving around her. It was impossible to make sense of it, and when she sucked in another fluid-filled hiccup, the world went dark.</p><p> </p><p>Connor spun around. He was surrounded by white again, except this time it was parting in a strange geometry to a green environment beyond. The geometry folded away around him, leaving him standing at the edge of what appeared to be a small pond with a central white platform in the middle of it. The shock was mixing with his sense of terror at being somewhere he wasn’t in control of, and the curiosity of what this all meant. Pathways which were impossibly clean and shiny etched through the grass around the pond, crossing at several points to link up in the middle of the pond. Several tall structures which looked to be almost like plastic representations of trees patterned the area, including a particularly massive one at the pathway juncture. His sensors informed him that this place wasn’t real.</p><p>Before he could move, he was suddenly pulled back through whiteness. He had the odd sensation of his processor shifting from remote control to manual, and then he was in the water again looking up at Samantha’s exhausted face.</p><p>Everything was on overdrive to make sense of the last several seconds he’d missed. Samantha gazed down at him, her weary expression indicating she hadn’t noticed any changes in him. The residual pleasure was still draining from him, leaving him heaving as his biocomponents cooled down. He frantically tried to analyze what had happened. Before he could even begin to process the meaning behind it, a panicked message had him bolting upright, holding onto Samantha and feeling as though his processor was about to explode.</p><p>Simon shot from the water, one arm wrapped around Kate who was hanging limply against him. “Connor!” he shouted.</p><p>Connor stared blindly for a moment, giving his head a shake as the reality of the situation sank in. Simon didn’t appear to be waiting for him. He swam straight for the pier, holding Kate tightly against him. When he reached the polymer dock, Connor was already above him with a wide-eyed Samantha watching from behind.</p><p>Simon raised Kate up to him and Connor pulled her up under her arms to lay her flat on the dock. Kate’s eyes were closed, and her expression blank. She looked as if she were asleep.</p><p>Simon dropped next to her, quickly brushing her plastered wet hair out of her face and tilting her head so that she faced straight up. He moved over her, pinching her nose and covering her mouth completely with his own before blowing in a deep breath of air. He breathed two more times, then he squared his shoulders as he clasped his hands together over her stomach. He leaned over her as he began to pump down onto her.</p><p>Kate immediately lurched, gurgling as she expelled a waterfall from her mouth. Simon helped her turn onto her side as she coughed, her face scrunching up as she spat up more water. Samantha let out a soft cry, covering her mouth with both hands and hunching slightly with panicked eyes.</p><p>Connor knelt down next to her as Kate panted deeply. He threw Simon a bewildered gaze, which Simon returned equally. Kate’s breathing began to ease, and Simon brushed her hair back softly. After about a minute, Kate closed her eyes. A small smile spread on her face.</p><p>“I’m finally out of the water,” she muttered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think everyone got a little bit out of character here, but this was just one big dorky situation so I guess I'll let it slide. The whole sexy bit at the end was not supposed to get as steamy as it did. This is always what happens when I tell characters to make out a little. The hands start going everywhere, people start breathing, and the next thing you know orgasms are dropping from the sky.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Made for This</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>At Simon’s insistence, Kate allowed him to scan her. She curled up in one of the chairs under the canopy while Simon knelt next to her, his eyes closed and his exposed plastic hands touching her scalp gently. Samantha observed them in silence as she sat cross-legged in a chair next to them, nervously going back and forth between curiosity and humility for their privacy. Connor stood behind Samantha, his hands resting on the back of her chair in case Simon asked him for help. The scan was over briefly, and afterwards Kate glanced over at them and gave a nonchalant smile.</p><p>She refused to go back into the water, and no one could blame her. Instead she helped Samantha carry the food out to the table and set up lunch. Samantha did most of the organizing since she’d made the majority of the dishes, and Simon prepared a grill inside on the stove. Samantha offered to help but Simon assured her that she’d already put more than enough work into cooking. Connor stayed in the house with Simon which Samantha found a bit odd. Connor hadn’t mentioned any more issues to her, and it seemed for the moment his software was back in order.</p><p>She moved into one of the chairs under the canopy, picking out a strawberry and biting into it. Kate was already crunching on a stick of celery, gazing off at the lake.</p><p>“Did Simon kick you out of his kitchen?” asked Kate. Samantha nodded.</p><p>“He’s making hot dogs,” said Samantha. “He told me I didn’t need to help but Connor stayed to watch.”</p><p>Kate smiled. “It’s nothing against you. Simon’s really protective of his kitchen. He tried to teach me to cook noodles once and I wound up setting the stove on fire.”</p><p>Samantha stared at her as Kate took another noisy bite out of celery. “So does Simon do all the cooking then?” said Samantha.</p><p>Kate nodded. “I tried to get him out of that. Cooking, cleaning, organizing, fixing, all the stuff he used to do before when he was still a… machine. He still kind of is a machine sometimes.” She looked thoughtfully at the house before gazing down at her celery. “Does Connor do any of that stuff?”</p><p>“You mean housekeeping?” said Samantha. “He has no clue what to do when it comes to that. I had the flu not too long ago and he did bring me some chicken noodle soup. It was still in the can, not warmed up. I think maybe his interest is just carried over from his programming since he was designed to be a bodyguard. All he’s really interested in is protection and order.”</p><p>“That makes sense,” said Kate. “At least he tried though. God if Simon were like Connor, we’d be so screwed. I’m a walking disaster. Between me and Simon, we make one functional adult.”</p><p>“I don’t really want Connor to be like that though,” said Samantha. “I’m the only one who makes a mess at our apartment and it would drive me crazy if someone was always picking up after me. It’d make me feel like I’m not capable of taking care of myself.”</p><p>Kate let out a laugh. “I guess we’re all perfect for eachother then.” She bit her lip as she stared at the ground, her expression falling. Samantha watched her for a moment, then leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.</p><p>“You know, there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Samantha. “Like I said, no one’s relationship is perfect and as long as you both make eachother happy then it’s all that matters.”</p><p>Kate continued to chew her lip as she thought. “What are you getting from your relationship?” she asked.</p><p>Samantha tilted her head as she stared at her. “What does that mean?”</p><p>“I mean what makes you want to be in a relationship with Connor as opposed to… you know…”</p><p>“A human?” said Samantha. She leaned back in her chair letting out a sigh. “I don’t really see why that should make a difference. You can’t help who you fall in love with and I’d never been close to anyone before. So when I fell in love with Connor, the fact that he was an android wasn’t an issue. What matters more is how he makes me feel and helps me grow as a person. My life was a mess when Connor entered it, and because we helped eachother, life has gotten much better for the both of us. Why should I let the fact that he’s an android get in the way of that?”</p><p>Kate drew her legs up and wrapped an arm around them as she gazed at her. She gave an almost mournful smile. “God, I wish I could have heard that two years ago. I needed to hear that from someone else so badly back then.” She ran a hand over her face and drew in a deep breath. “I had a really hard time accepting that I was in love with Simon. It just seemed so wrong and pointless. Everyone was telling me that it was wrong. But it felt so… <em> right. </em> It still feels so right. I can’t imagine living without this. Without him, you know?”</p><p>Samantha absorbed her words carefully. “Did you ever look for support groups? People who had relationships with androids and talk to them about how they felt?”</p><p>Kate shook her head and made a face. <em> “Support groups… </em> all I ever saw was anti-android propaganda and CyberLife. I didn’t even know there were people who dated androids until after Simon and I got together, and android relationships were called ‘those people.’ Hell, for a while we thought Simon was the only deviant.”</p><p>“Public opinion on androids is different here in Detroit than it is in Chicago,” said Samantha. “That’s why Connor and I are here. We want to change that and make it normal for humans and androids to live together. People shouldn’t have to feel like it’s wrong if they’re in love with an android. There are whole communities out there where people and androids live together, have jobs, and are even married. Connor and I lived with a human/android couple for several months. There was nothing wrong about that.”</p><p>“Androids and people are married?” Kate’s eyes grew wide when Samantha nodded. Kate looked to the side, a strange awe flowing through her. “Huh. Is that even legal?”</p><p>“It’s still not recognized in most states,” said Samantha. “Michigan doesn’t recognize it. Illinois just passed a bill making it legal and they’re pushing for it in Wisconsin. Things like this have to be done state by state unfortunately. But the more states we can change, the easier it will be for everyone to accept it.”</p><p>“Have you and Connor ever been harassed?” said Kate. “For being a human/android couple?”</p><p>“We’ve had some difficulties. He had to pretend to still be my android for a while. The police tried to take him from me and I had to prove that I was his owner. That was a little awkward.”</p><p>Kate rested her chin on her knees as she hugged her legs closer. “Simon and I were harassed. A lot. By all kinds of people including anti-android groups and CyberLife. When CyberLife couldn’t legally reset him, people tried to ‘cure’ me of my robosexuality. And when they couldn’t do that, they tried to get rid of the problem. It ended bad.” Kate sighed and buried her forehead against her arms. “Really bad.”</p><p>Samantha rubbed the seam of her arm. “I wish you could have gotten in touch with the online community. There are a lot of forums out there with people who support deviants and android relationships. They have so much knowledge on deviation, relationships, and biocomponents. That’s how I learned to help Connor deviate and also how to make the most of our relationship.”</p><p>Kate tilted her head. “You mean considering he doesn’t have…” She waved her hand to finish the statement.</p><p>“Genitalia,” said Samantha. Kate smacked her forehead. “That’s how we learned to look for his erogenous zones,” Samantha continued. “And what to expect when it came to sexuality. We learned to just love eachother in whatever way we can. It’s always been enough.”</p><p>“Has it though?” asked Kate. “I mean, you used one of those… those… fuck it, android phallus things and everything else doesn’t seem like you’re just compensating for not having one?”</p><p>“We don’t need it,” said Samantha. “I’ve always been more than satisfied with him and there are ways I can make him satisfied as well. Plus it makes the experience more dynamic.”</p><p>Kate raised her eyebrows, and brought up her index finger. “But was it better?”</p><p>“It was just… different,” said Samantha.</p><p>“Better?”</p><p><em> “Different,” </em> said Samantha. “And a lot of work to take on and off.”</p><p>Kate laughed and rested a hand behind her head. “It doesn’t just snap on?”</p><p>“No,” said Samantha, making a complicated gesture with her hands. “There’s like a panel and a bundle of wires and a socket in the back. You have to plug it in through the bundle of wires and into the socket.”</p><p>Kate was staring. “Why?”</p><p>“Apparently it’s for attaching different types of sexual organs,” said Samantha.</p><p>“You mean you can put a vagina on─” Kate smacked a hand over her own mouth, her eyes wide. She looked at Samantha. “Did you put a vagina on him?” she whispered.</p><p>“What? No!<em> No!” </em> Samantha stared at her for a moment, then let out a laugh. “No! Oh my god.”</p><p>“Why not?” asked Kate, a huge smile on her face.</p><p>“Because! I’m not a sexual deviant!”</p><p>“I don’t see why you’re so upset about it,” said Kate, picking up another stick of celery. “It’s just different.”</p><p>Samantha let out a sharp laugh. She threw the last piece of her strawberry at her. Kate jerked slightly, her eyes wide.</p><p>“Don’t litter!” she cried as she chucked the celery stick at her.</p><p>
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</p><p>- - - - -</p><p> </p><p>Simon and Connor didn’t speak for several minutes after Samantha left. The grill sizzled as Simon moved around the kitchen gathering a different assortment of seasonings and clearing a space to chop onions. Connor was standing with his back against the bar, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at the floor. It seemed whenever one android would look up, the other would be distracted. After the onions were cut and frying on the stove, Simon turned and Connor met his eyes for the first time. They simply stared at eachother in mild concern.</p><p>Simon drew in a deep breath. “It happened again, didn’t it?”</p><p>Connor uncrossed his arms and straightened. “Simon, I’m very sorry. I should have responded faster to your message.”</p><p>Simon shook his head. “Connor─ you don’t have to apologize for what happened. It was no one’s fault and everyone is okay… I think. Are <em> you </em> okay?”</p><p>Connor’s gaze fell to the floor. “I’m going back to CyberLife. The glitch is far more serious than I anticipated. In fact, I’m not entirely sure that it is a glitch.”</p><p>Simon narrowed his eyes at him. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“I saw something this time,” said Connor. “I was in what appeared to be a generated environment. It was a program I am unfamiliar with and I had no control over, as if it were being projected directly to me from an external source. I may have acquired a virus.”</p><p>Simon’s LED blinked yellow as he processed the information. “But you went directly to CyberLife. You couldn’t have gotten a virus from the manufacturer.”</p><p>“Statistically the odds are very low,” said Connor. “But not impossible.”</p><p>“When did you last update?” said Simon.</p><p>“This morning,” said Connor. “And my diagnostic program reported nothing.”</p><p>Simon sighed and gripped his chin in his thumb and index finger. “I’m not designed for technician services, but I just can’t see how your visit to CyberLife would have resulted in this kind of programming error. If it were a virus, I would have also received it through your interface, and I haven’t experienced anything.”</p><p>“It only seems to occur during arousal,” said Connor.</p><p>“Yes, I know,” said Simon. Connor stared at him a moment, his LED blinking yellow. Simon dropped his shoulders and sighed. “It was a really stupid thing to do and I understand how I put Kate in danger. We were simply caught up in the moment and…” Simon raised his hands as if to make a point, then dropped them at the last second. “I just wanted to prove to her that I still love her.”</p><p>“By nearly drowning her?” said Connor. Simon looked up at him, then pointed at him and made a frustrated noise.</p><p>“Plus─ <em> you─” </em> Simon stared fiercely at him as Connor drew back.</p><p>“I was… well…” Connor looked away nervously. For a while, both androids were silent. Connor shifted slowly on the spot. “I understand what it’s like to seize an opportunity.”</p><p>Simon let out a soft laugh through his nose. “I seem to pick all the wrong ones.” He ran a hand through his blond hair and looked at Connor. “And you’re missing out on yours.”</p><p>“There will be other opportunities,” said Connor. “Assuming the damage isn’t permanent.” He stared nervously at the floor for a moment. Simon moved forward.</p><p>“Here.” Simon held out his hand. “Let me set up an alert system which will notify me if it happens again. I can at least make sure you’re safe.”</p><p>Connor straightened, feeling a bit more comforted at the idea. He nodded, then clasped Simon’s arm. Their skin washed away as they interfaced, and Simon created a secure network between them with a trigger. They released hands and their skin returned.</p><p>“Thank you, Simon,” said Connor. “For all the good it will do.”</p><p>“At least until you return to CyberLife.” Simon’s gaze fell, and his eyebrows narrowed into a frown. He looked back up at Connor. “I’m sorry this didn’t work. I know how much you were looking forward to this.”</p><p>Connor nodded, his heart sinking. “I was.”</p><p>
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</p><p>- - - - -</p><p>
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</p><p>The horizon was beginning to turn deep shades of gold and purple when Simon and Connor brought the canopy down. Simon uncovered the glass table which revealed a small concrete bonfire underneath, and soon there was a crackle of orange flames at the center of the circle of chairs. Only two were occupied though. Connor sat in a chair facing towards the lake with Samantha curled in his lap, her head against his chest. Simon sat facing the dock, Kate lying back against him with her legs drawn up. Both androids had put their shirts back on. Connor’s dress shirt was still unbuttoned, and Simon wore a fresh blue flannel with sleeves rolled to his elbows. Simon had offered to make dinner for the two girls but they had been chewing on food for most of the afternoon, and there were still plenty of hot dogs left.</p><p>A low wind was crossing the lake, bringing a slight chill to the air. Samantha curled up closer to Connor who raised his temperature for her, wrapping his arms around her. She let out a sigh, a smile spreading on her face. Connor rested his cheek on her hair.</p><p>“You’re cold,” he said.</p><p>“You’re warm,” said Samantha. She snuggled further into him, wrapping her arm around him and drawing her knees up.</p><p>“I could get you a blanket if you’re cold,” said Simon, moving slightly.</p><p>“I’m okay,” said Samantha. “I’ve got a Connor blanket.” She gazed at the dock. “Do you guys have a boat?”</p><p>“Yep,” said Kate. Samantha narrowed her eyes in confusion. Kate shrugged. “It’s there. It’s just underwater.”</p><p>Samantha laughed. “Underwater? What happened?”</p><p>“Don’t know,” said Kate. “It was sunk when we built the place. We never bothered to pull it out because we’re not going to use a boat anyway.”</p><p>“You live in a boat house though,” said Samantha. “You have to have a boat if you’re going to live in a boat house.”</p><p>“And get stranded in the middle of the lake during a storm and die? No thanks.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t be on the water during a storm anyway,” said Connor. “All boats should be docked at the first sign of white caps.”</p><p>“Our boat is docked just fine right where it is,” said Kate, adjusting herself against Simon. He placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Do you want a blanket?” he asked. Kate tilted her head against him.</p><p>“Thanks, I’m fine,” she said. He turned his head as if thinking.</p><p>“I don’t get it,” said Samantha. “If you hate water, why’d you build a boat house instead of just moving into an apartment?”</p><p>“It was a way to stay close to my dad at the time,” said Kate. “I used to work for him as an office manager and we were really close to his android who was a deviant. He helped us build the android workshop in there.”</p><p>“How many deviants did you hide here?” said Connor.</p><p>“Couple dozen,” said Kate. “Nowhere near the amount at Jericho.” She held Simon’s hand against her own, splaying his fingers against hers and moving them. Simon watched her carefully.</p><p>“Is anyone getting hungry?” he asked. “I could bring out the hot dogs.”</p><p>“No thanks,” said Samantha. Kate paused what she was doing, then turned her head towards him.</p><p>“Simon.” She touched her nose to his and smiled. “Do you want to get up for something?”</p><p>He stared at her for a moment, his LED spinning yellow. “Yes.”</p><p>Kate let out a soft laugh, then carefully stood up. Simon rose and gazed around for a moment before moving towards the house and disappearing inside. Kate laughed again, pressing a hand to her forehead before her smile faded. She touched her mouth.</p><p>“There he goes again,” she said quietly. “Acting weird.”</p><p>“Maybe he just really wants us to have blankets,” said Samantha. Connor nodded eagerly.</p><p>“It is getting cold,” he said. His LED flashed yellow for a moment. “The temperature will drop to sixteen degrees tonight.”</p><p>“Sixteen?” said Kate, sitting down and crossing one leg over the other. “What the hell─ it’s not going to get<em> that </em>cold.”</p><p>“Celsuis,” said Connor. Kate huffed.</p><p>“Who the hell uses celsius,” she muttered. “How cold is that in fahrenheit?”</p><p>“Roughly sixty,” said Connor. The door to the house closed, and Simon returned to the pier. He looked unusually tense, his shoulders drawn and his gaze lowered to the ground. He slowed as he approached, seeming to realize that everyone was staring at him. He paused at the circle of chairs and fumbled with one of the buttons on his shirt.</p><p>“Simon?”</p><p>He looked up at Kate who was gazing at him with a confused expression, her eyebrows raised.</p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked. Simon opened his mouth, his LED turning yellow. He threw a nervous glance at Connor who had straightened somewhat.</p><p>“I’ll be right back,” said Simon. He turned and moved back into the house.</p><p>Kate shook her head, sinking deeper into her chair. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. “Weeks,” she said quietly. “He’s been like that for weeks.”</p><p>“Things have been quite stressful at New Jericho lately,” said Connor. Samantha looked up at him. His LED flashed, and he shifted. “Simon told me he’s been negotiating with CyberLife to arrange a shipment of biocomponents for the CX100 model which is considerably more expensive than the AP700. The negotiations haven’t been going well.”</p><p>“Hmm. Yeah.” Kate glanced up at the house, resting her chin in her hand. She chewed on her lip. “Connor, he hasn’t… told you anything, has he? Things that are bothering him or that he’s upset about?”</p><p>Connor stared at her a moment, his eyes slightly wide. “He has been under a lot of stress,” he said.</p><p>Kate narrowed her eyes a bit. “Yeah, but has he told you why?”</p><p>Connor’s LED flashed yellow. He glanced at Samantha who was also staring at him. “He’s... been under a lot of stress.”</p><p>Kate tilted her head, opening her mouth as she struggled to reword the question. Before she could say anything, the door to the house closed again. Simon moved into the light of the bonfire, Kate’s acoustic guitar in his hand. He lifted it as he approached them.</p><p>“This seems to be appropriate for the occasion,” he said, settling in a chair next to Kate. He held the guitar out to her. Kate stared for a moment, then let out a shocked laugh.</p><p>“Oh god, you want me to play it?” she said.</p><p>“You play the guitar?” said Samantha, sitting up.</p><p>“I used to,” said Kate. She took the guitar from Simon and set it on her knee. “Do you play?”</p><p>“I play piano,” said Samantha. “Although I haven’t played in a long time. There’s not enough room in our apartment and the neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate the noise.”</p><p>“It’s music, not noise,” said Simon as Kate plucked at the strings and adjusted the knobs. “And I’m sure it sounds beautiful.”</p><p>“It does,” said Connor, pressing his mouth to Samantha’s temple. “So does her voice.”</p><p>“Awesome,” said Kate pointing the neck of the guitar at her. “Then I don’t have to do this alone.”</p><p>“Oh no,” said Samantha, laughing. “No, I’m not going to sing.” Kate was already strumming a slow tune, the strings of the guitar creaking as she changed chords.</p><p>“Come on, I’ll sing if you sing and then we can cancel eachother out,” said Kate. She looked up at her. “Do you recognize this?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Samantha drew in a deep breath. “Fine.”</p><p>Kate played one more rotation, then she and Samantha both began to sing softly. It was  a very gentle tune, hardly stronger than the tone of their natural voices. </p><p> </p><p>To the left of me’s the sketch you drew</p><p>and to the right I see the book I lent you</p><p>to help you through the night</p><p> </p><p>The black of charcoal on my thumbs</p><p>but with any luck you’ll see the light that comes</p><p>from open eyes</p><p> </p><p>It’s All Hallow’s Eve</p><p>Hold my hand</p><p>Ahead there’s land</p><p>We’ll row the boat</p><p>and leave it on the other shore</p><p> </p><p>Simon and Connor listened quietly, lost in their own fascination of them. Connor gazed off into the distance, his mouth pressed to Samantha’s temple as he breathed in the scent of her hair. Simon was reclined in his chair as he watched Kate with a small longing smile and fumbled with the pocket of his flannel shirt. The breeze fell over them as the sun disappeared into the darkness, leaving only the faded glow of the city lights in the west.</p><p>The song was finished, and Connor pulled Samantha closer into him. Kate pushed the guitar back in Simon’s direction.</p><p>“Here, you play something,” she said.</p><p>“But you were doing so well,” said Simon.</p><p>“I don’t have calluses on my fingers and they’re killing me,” said Kate. She wobbled the guitar at him until he finally took it from her. He threw her a narrow glance with a smile before adjusting the guitar under his arm. He looked at Samantha and Connor.</p><p>“Any requests?” he said. Samantha shrugged.</p><p>“Play something you want to play,” she said. Simon shifted and squared up his shoulders as he stared down at the guitar. Then he strummed a sequence of serene chords which echoed off the walls of the boat house. His voice followed after, hopeful and melancholic.</p><p> </p><p>Ten miles from town</p><p>And I just broke down</p><p>Spitting out smoke on the side of the road</p><p>I’m out here alone</p><p>Just trying to get home</p><p>To tell you I was wrong but you already know</p><p>Believe me I won’t stop at nothing to see you</p><p>So I’ve started running</p><p> </p><p>All that I’m after is a life full of laughter</p><p>As long as I’m laughing with you</p><p>And I think that all that still matters is love ever after</p><p>After the life we’ve been through</p><p>‘Cause I know there’s no life after you</p><p> </p><p>Connor seemed to watch thoughtfully, gripping his chin though he wasn’t quite looking at Simon. He had one arm around Samantha and she gripped it as Simon played. When the song was over, Kate drew her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. She was gazing at Simon with a sad reverence, her hazel eyes lit in the dancing lights of the fire. He didn’t offer to play anything else. He simply gazed into the fire, his LED on permanent yellow and his face drawn in a tense focus.</p><p>Kate finally stood up and moved to him. He immediately looked up at her.</p><p>“Kate…” He paused as she took the guitar from him and threw him a smile.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” she said as she kneeled onto his lap, resting against his chest and tossing her hair back. “I’m just getting close to you.”</p><p>Simon breathed a quiet laugh and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his laugh fading to a sigh as he pressed his mouth to her forehead. He caught Connor’s gaze over the flames, the other android’s brown eyes bright with intent. Simon didn’t need to message him to know what Connor meant. He simply lowered his gaze to the ground, pulling Kate further into him. For a while there was only the sound of water gently lapping against the polymer dock and the rustle of trees as the wind drifted overhead.</p><p>“Did you ever think we’d get to this point?” said Kate. She was making small circles on Simon’s chest with her fingers. “You know, not having to be in hiding, living together, doing normal shit, enjoying life.” She looked over her shoulder at Connor and Samantha. “If you had told yourself two years ago that this is where you’d be, would you believe it?”</p><p>Samantha stared at her a moment. “There are a lot of things I wouldn’t believe. But if you told me I’d be living with Connor and fighting for android rights in Detroit, I definitely wouldn’t believe you.” She let out a sigh and ran her hand along Connor’s arm. “I’d sure hope for it though. I needed hope back then.”</p><p>Connor gently combed Samantha’s hair back with his fingers. “Two years ago this day I was in storage,” he said. “The Detroit Police Department only used me in ride-alongs, but I was rarely ever utilized. I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend a life like this. I wouldn’t have been able to comprehend joy or friendship. Love.” Samantha shifted slightly, threading her fingers through the back of his.</p><p>Kate was still making small circles on Simon’s chest. She stopped when his hand closed over hers, and she looked up into his tense blue eyes. He rubbed her fingers softly. “Two years ago, I thought I’d never see you again,” he said.</p><p>Kate gazed at him for a moment, then pulled herself closer to him, touching her hand to the side of his neck. Simon rested his cheek on her forehead and stared off into the darkness. Across from him Connor was doing the same, his arms wrapped around Samantha and his face drawn in a particularly fierce focus as if he were protecting her from the past he hadn’t been a part of. The air filled with their silent thoughts, creating an invisible cloud of memory over them and blurring the passing of time.</p><p>It was a while before Connor looked up at Simon, a digital ping catching his attention. Simon’s gaze met his, and at Simon’s sigh, Connor understood what he meant. Connor glanced down at Samantha whose eyes were closed before sending Simon a private message.</p><p>&lt;There will be other opportunities.&gt;</p><p>Simon’s shoulders dropped slightly, and he closed his eyes. &lt;I’m not going to do it.&gt;</p><p>Connor looked up. &lt;What do you mean?&gt;</p><p>&lt;I can’t make her do this. I can’t make her go back to that life of uncertainty and ridicule that we worked so hard to escape. The life that nearly destroyed us. It’s not fair to her.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Simon, you know it wouldn’t be like that. The world is changing. Androids are changing too. Don’t back out on this because you’re afraid.&gt;</p><p>Simon gazed at him, his eyes narrowed. &lt;Can you honestly say that it would be better, being in your position? Fighting the law, facing judgement every day, wondering if you made the right choice? It’s better keeping things the way they are.&gt;</p><p>&lt;It will be better if you do this. It will make you happy. I would do anything to make Samantha happy. If I were in your position, I’d─&gt; Connor stopped, his LED flickering yellow. </p><p>Simon watched him in quiet remorse. &lt;We do what we have to in order to protect the ones we love.&gt;</p><p>Connor let out a soft sigh as he looked down at Samantha. &lt;I was made to protect Samantha at all costs, even if it’s from myself. You were made to keep Kate healthy and happy. I was made on a preventative measure while you were made on a beneficial one. Whether we’re deviants or not, we’re all still bound to our original programming. We can choose to ignore it but we cannot escape it. Perhaps that’s not a bad thing.&gt;</p><p>&lt;Are you saying I shouldn’t fight my fear of the worst case scenario?&gt;</p><p>&lt;No. I’m saying maybe you shouldn’t run from your desire for something better simply because the logic that says you shouldn’t is the same logic that prevented you from deviating.&gt;</p><p>Simon’s gaze fell, a strange energy washing over him as he absorbed Connor’s words. Connor watched him for a moment longer before returning his gaze to Samantha. He brushed her hair back softly, taking in her delicate features. He understood Simon’s hesitation though everything in him was still arguing that his own situation was different. Confrontations like the one they’d had at the department store were bound to happen regardless. And like Connor had fought the hostility and won, android rights were triumphing more and more each day. Yet even as Connor proved it to himself, he remembered how Simon had been the first to be attacked. He’d stood at the front of the conflict for years, before Connor was even built. Simon wasn’t made for conflict. He wasn’t made for changing the world. He wasn’t made for this.</p><p>It was half an hour before Simon messaged him again.</p><p>&lt;The guest room is free if you’d like to take Samantha to bed. Kate was exaggerating when she said it was just a mattress on the floor.&gt;</p><p>Connor nodded appreciatively. He carefully scooped Samantha up, one arm under her knees and the other wrapped around her shoulder. Samantha made a noise and curled against him, though Connor could tell by her vital signs that she was asleep. Simon moved ahead of him. He was carrying Kate the same way though Kate had her arms around his shoulders, her face buried in his chest. Connor followed Simon into the house and up the stairs where Simon paused outside of their bedroom. He threw Connor a concerned glance.</p><p>&lt;I’ll be out in a moment.&gt;</p><p>Connor gave him another nod, then moved quietly into the guest bedroom. Besides the queen sized bed on a polymer frame and the bag which contained Connor’s pistol and his red tie, the room was completely empty. Connor quietly closed the door behind him as he moved to the side of the bed and set Samantha down into the cushions, careful not to stir her. He brushed back the strawberry blond hair from her face, observing her in the dark. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to have Samantha ripped from him simply because he was an android. To be ridiculed and harassed for loving a human. He wouldn’t have tolerated it. He would have fought everyone to keep Samantha safe. And he would have brought that fight to the very steps of CyberLife tower if it meant he and Samantha would always be together.</p><p>A powerful longing took over as Connor moved onto the bed next to Samantha, drawing himself up against her and closing his eyes as he pulled her into his chest. He breathed into her hair, relishing in their closeness. Despite himself, he felt a small degree of pride in knowing that Simon might not be strong enough for the fight, but Connor most certainly knew he was.</p><p> </p><p>
  
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've always been a little bit hesitant to do musical scenes, but honestly this chapter was screaming for one. It was also really nice to see Samantha and Kate having a heart-to-heart conversation about what it's like being with an android. They each come from very different situations but still had to struggle with the morality of being in love with a machine. Even in a community that accepts androids as real people, there's no guaranteed safety from the overlords at CyberLife that see androids only as products, not something to be respected or even loved.</p><p>The drawings in this chapter were made by TyChou. Check out her <a href="https://dbhtychou.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/ty-chou">DeviantArt</a>!</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a></p><p> </p><p>Kate and Samantha sing Boat Song by Ludo</p><p>Simon sings Life After You by Daughtry</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Truth</h2></a>
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  <span>Spot hopped off the bed as Simon set Kate down gently, her arms releasing him as she sank into the sheets. She made a noise, and as he pulled away her hand closed over his, keeping him still. She arched slightly as she stretched her back.</span>
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  <span>“Stay,” she said quietly.</span>
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  <span>Simon’s shoulders dropped and he looked quickly at the door. “I told Connor I’d be right back.”</span>
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  <span>Kate released him, gazing at his chest as she ran her hand along his arm. “When will you be back?” Her eyes found him in the darkness, and Simon felt his breath hitch at the sight of her. The sheets reflected red from the ambient light of his LED.</span>
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  <span>“It could be a while,” he said. “We have a lot to do.”</span>
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  <span>A flicker of remorse swept over Kate’s face before she looked down. She swallowed, her eyebrows furrowing. “Is that the truth or are you trying to avoid me?”</span>
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  <span>Simon was about to object loudly. He let out an exasperated breath, halfway through creating a reasonable explanation when he realized how much like an excuse it sounded in his own head. Kate raised herself up, her hands behind her and her hair falling forward though she still avoided his gaze. Simon watched in a partial panic as she thought carefully.</span>
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  <span>“Simon, I need this to be over,” she said, looking up at him. “The secrets, the hiding, avoiding me, not talking to me… I need it to stop. I need you back. I need you to tell me what’s been going on.”</span>
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  <span>“Kate…” Simon glanced at the door nervously. “Nothing has been going on. Whatever you think it might be, no matter how minor, I promise you it’s not that. Everything is going to be okay.”</span>
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  <span>“It’s not okay,” said Kate. “Simon, it hasn’t been okay. And it’s only getting worse the longer you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.”</span>
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  <span>“It’s not going to be like that anymore,” said Simon. “I’ve come to terms with it. Kate, I promise you things are going to be better now.”</span>
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  <span>“You’ve come to terms with it,” said Kate, her eyes gaining strength. “Then you can tell me what it is.”</span>
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  <span>Simon made a noise, tilting his head. He closed his eyes, bitter anguish flowing through him. “Kate…”</span>
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  <span>She ran a hand through her hair, bringing it over her shoulder and pressing her fingers to her mouth. She stared down at the blankets. “Simon, is it me?”</span>
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  <span>Simon straightened. “No. Kate you know it’s not─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep saying that but I know how I am. Sam and Connor know how I am and they’re not afraid to tell me. Since we met them you’ve been acting different and I can’t stop thinking that you want to find something more. That maybe this whole time you’ve been settling and you know now you can do better than me and─” She looked away, making a face. “You deserve it. You deserve better than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon was frozen in shock. He reached out and touched his finger to her chin, turning her head towards him. “I can’t believe you’d think that,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate gazed back at him. “I just told you why I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon leaned back running his hands over his face. Kate stood up from the bed, and she wrapped her hands around his wrists, bringing them down slowly. Her face was racked in desperation. “Tell me honestly,” she said. “Do you want something better than what we have? Do you wish you had more?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon felt his heart quicken as he looked at her. He swallowed. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s shoulders tensed and she drew in a deep breath. “What can I do to make that happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing─ Kate, you don’t have to do anything. This is something I have to do. That I had to do. I wouldn’t change anything about you, ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How am I supposed to believe that when I feel you slipping away from me more and more every day?” Kate’s hands were on either side of his face now as she gazed pleading at him. “I can’t do this anymore, Simon. I can’t live like this without knowing what you need to do so badly but won’t tell me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon breathed out a frantic sigh. “Kate, I’m so─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Kate shook her head. “The next words out of your mouth need to be the truth. Simon.” She breathed deeply as she looked at him, her eyes glinting in the moonlight. “What do you need to do? What’s bothering you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon stared back at her, his system nearly overclocking as he scrambled for an acceptable solution to give her. He couldn’t possibly tell her like this. Not when she was so convinced that whatever he had to say was her worst fear. And he couldn’t tell her that he’d chosen against his initial plans. If anything, it would only exacerbate the issue exponentially. Though she hadn’t stated it, he couldn’t help but feel this was some kind of terrible ultimatum. That no matter what he said, it would completely shatter her. There had to be some way he could remedy the situation. A way he could deflect it so that somehow, even if he couldn’t give her what she wanted, there was at least some hope it would shatter him instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brought his hands up past hers, sliding them along her neck and running his thumbs over her cheeks. She lowered her hands slowly as she watched him expectantly. His thirium pump raced, and he breathed heavily as the despair took hold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you,” he said. “I love you so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A miserable helplessness seemed to fall over both of them. Kate closed her eyes, a tear running down her cheek as she slowly shook her head and drew back from him. Simon immediately moved forward, pulling her back into him. His nose touched her cheek, and she sucked in a sob as she turned her head away from him, grasping at his wrists. He didn’t relent, pressing his mouth to her temple as she continued to weakly fight against him. A battle was waging in her mind, one of total conflict between the need to believe what he was telling her and the betrayal in his refusal to be honest. As his mouth moved to her cheek, her hands made their way to his chest in a pitiful attempt to push him away. When he reached the corner of her mouth, an electric cascade fell over her, rendering her helpless in a blind desire to simply fall into him. She turned into him, sliding her hands over his shoulders and opening her mouth to frantically close it against his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He drew her in, wrapping his arms around her and feeling a wave of aching longing wash through him as she slid her hands into his hair and locked herself into him. He breathed heavily against her mouth each time he took it, the sensation amazingly precious as if he’d come close to never feeling it again. Kate closed her hands in his hair, soft noises escaping her as she pressed her mouth against his. Each of his gentle motions aided in helping her fool herself into believing that nothing was broken between them. As long as she was lost in the saline taste of his mouth, everything was the way it should be. As long as she was in his arms, they were safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon slid his hands to her waist as he pushed her backwards, moving with her until her back hit the wall. She let out a gasp, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he pressed his body into her, closing his mouth over hers. His hands were drifting along her torso, tracing the curves of her breasts and feeling the smooth skin of her abdomen. The sensation made her head spin with elation, along with his harsh breath each time he let go of her lips only to brush his tongue against hers before closing his mouth over her lips again. She arched herself against him, and the pressure of his pelvis against hers had her dropping her head back and letting out a desperate breath of air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mouth was on her neck, his blond hair grazing her chin as he brought himself lower. Kate clenched her hands into his hair and panted as she felt his lips on her breasts through the cut in her swimsuit. The rush of excitement and urge to feel more of him had her running her hands down his shoulders and to his collar as she hastily began to unbutton his shirt. Simon straightened for her, pressing his forehead against hers and breathing heavily as he took her breasts in his hands and tightened his fingers over them. Kate fumbled with each button all the way down his body until she finally reached up to pull it off his shoulders. Simon rolled his shoulders back, touching his mouth to hers as his shirt fell to the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took her mouth again, pushing himself against her so that he could feel the slide of their bare skin. Kate wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he took the opportunity to run his hands up her sides until they reached the fabric of her swimsuit. He arched into her as he pulled it up, releasing her breasts and drawing it over her head. He wasted no time as he moved back into her, closing his mouth over her breast as he hooked his thumbs into her bottom piece, pulling it down until it dropped to the floor. Kate’s fingers threaded through his hair, her head dropping back from the rush of stimulation. If he was trying to prove to her that he was still in love with her, he was doing a fantastic job of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hands were on her sides, and he pulled her to the bed to push her back onto it. Kate’s chest heaved as Simon lowered himself down to her, closing his mouth over hers before moving to her neck. He drew himself back slightly to run his hand up between her breasts to her throat. She’d hooked her legs around his hips, her hands on either side of his face and her mouth open as she breathed heavily. She looked utterly undone for him. With a burning cascade of desire, he dropped down and touched his tongue to her already prominent nipple, baring his teeth and gently catching it in between them. Kate let out a sharp moan, rising into him and tightening her legs around him as he dragged his tongue over her nipple before closing his lips over it. His hand found her other breast and he massaged it gently. Then he let go of her breast, pressing his mouth to her flexing stomach until he reached her pelvis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waves of electric passion were flowing through her body as Kate felt Simon kneel, his hands carefully holding the joints of her hips and his mouth trailing along the inside of her thigh. She thought her heart would leap from her chest as she breathed heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath. A burst of shock ignited her core, and she dropped her head back, letting out a tense cry at the first brush of his tongue. She clenched her hands in his hair, tightening her legs and arching up into his mouth. Simon could feel himself reacting to her, and he brought his hand up along her stomach as he swirled his tongue across her tender bud. Kate’s breathing grew more and more ragged the more he moved until he closed his mouth over her bud and began to suck it between his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate slammed her hand over her head as she cried out, fisting the sheets while clenching her other hand in Simon’s hair. His thirium pump hammered at the sound of her and he could feel the tension in her body as she came apart for him. He needed her to believe in him as much as he believed in her. If he couldn’t convince her through words then he needed his actions to push her over the edge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s breathing grew sharp and her voice more strained as she began to lift herself into him. “Oh god… Si─ </span>
  <em>
    <span>Simon…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>That was his cue to go further. With an overwhelming rush of excitement, he let the bud slip from his lips and dragged the bridge of his nose into it, feeling it slicken with moisture as she reacted to him. Kate fought for air, her chest heaving and her voice breaking with each breath as the waves of pleasure began to combine inside of her with each push of his nose. Her core seized, and then she felt her body ignite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could hear herself crying out, her voice echoing off the walls as euphoria spread from her pelvis outward. It carried her into bliss, rendering her helpless as the sensation took control. She was vaguely aware that Simon was holding her still, his movement pushing the brilliant burst as far as it could go. She never wanted it to end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With one last gasp, she collapsed on the bed, and Simon finally rose above her. Her eyes were closed and she panted heavily as she recovered. Simon waited for her patiently as he worked his way along her stomach, closing his mouth against her skin and drowning in the way she was surrendering to him. She had done so well for him. Taking everything he was giving to her and showing him how much she was willing to give in return. She was amazing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her strength began to return, and Kate reached up to touch his cheek. He raised himself, kneeling against the bed as he pulled his green trunks off of himself, stepping out of them as he moved over her. His hand went under the small of her back, and he helped her lift her body up so that she was able to move with him onto the bed fully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mouth found hers, and she breathed out against him as she felt along his chest. He parted her knees with his own, and she let out a helpless breath of air against his lips as he brought himself down to her. She was aching for his solid pressure, the sensitive entrance between her legs more than ready for the feel of him. He let go of her mouth as he brought his hand down, taking a hold of himself and guiding the tip of him towards her pelvis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He panted as he pressed his forehead to hers. “Do you want me?” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate tightened her legs on either side of him and let out a shaky gasp as he slid the length of his erection along her already swollen and slick folds. She clenched her eyes shut. “Y-yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dragged himself back down her skin, pressing his nose into her cheek as he fought against himself. “Then tell me,” he said, breathing heavily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate drew in a deep breath, opening her eyes and meeting his in the dark as she braced against the waves of desire. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I want you.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The breathlessness in her voice caused Simon’s heart to skip, his mouth falling open as a cascade of sparks fell over him. He arched himself over her, slipping the tip of himself into her before letting go to slide the rest of his erection all the way inside of her in one shocking motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a soft groan with her cry as their hips connected, uniting them blissfully together with the most precious parts of themselves. Then he adjusted himself on his elbows as he began to roll his hips into hers, his back working fluidly to pump himself in and out of her. Kate gasped desperately against his cheek as her arms slipped under his, and he felt her hands clench into the muscles near his shoulder blades. His arousal strengthened as he moved inside of her, fueled by the sharpness of her nails digging into his skin. He rocked faster. Deeper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s legs drew up along his back, and she arched up into him as she moaned against him. He could feel how unbelievably velvety and smooth she was for him, already undone and slick from his earlier stimulation. He’d never felt her this receptive for him. As if her body was made for the shape of his, bringing him home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed his mouth over hers as he rolled over with her, her hair falling forward on either side of his face. She pressed her hands to his chest, her breathing muffled as she took his mouth again. Then she drew back slightly as she rolled her hips into his, her breath hot against his cheek. He held onto her waist as he guided her on him. The building of pleasure was rising fast within him as Kate’s body flexed beautifully on top of his. It was making his thirium pump race and sending shockwaves of ecstasy through his core. Gradually, Kate brought herself up, and the view she presented him with was utterly intoxicating. Her mouth was open as she gasped over him, her eyes focused on his in a frantic determination. Every feature in her body was sharp and pronounced as she rolled her hips on him, the slick sensation of her magnified by how much she was showing him that she wanted him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brought his hand up to touch the side of her face, and she caught it in her own, closing her eyes and stifling her breathing as she closed her mouth against his palm. Then she opened her mouth, drawing his hand down her face, along her neck to her chest where she guided it over her breast. Her knuckles paled as she clenched her fingers over his, and he palmed her breast as she moved. He could hardly believe how wonderfully she was doing for him. How faithfully she was giving her body to him. He could only hope that he was good enough to convince her that she was all he would ever want for the rest of his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled her hand down so that she came with it, and he pressed his mouth to her lips as he rolled on top of her. This fresh angle was gorgeous and fragile, and he rolled himself softly into her as he slid his hand up to cup the edge of her face. He let her calibrate to him as she brought her legs up to hook over his back and drew her arms up underneath his. He wanted her to be ready for him when it was time. They needed to fall together as one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pressed his nose to her cheek, breathing out heavily. “Do you remember the first time we made love after coming here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate panted against his mouth, her hazel eyes pleading in the dark as he continued to roll his hips slowly into hers. He touched his thumb to the corner of her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you thought we didn’t deserve this?” He let out a soft groan as Kate rose into him slightly, though he kept his pace steady. “That it wasn’t right because I’m an android and you’re a human?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate opened her mouth, her eyes growing wide as she made to answer. Simon quickly lowered himself, closing his mouth against hers to stop her from speaking. When he drew back, her hands moved to his chest and she flexed her back in an effort to make him move faster. He pushed up from the bed so his arms were on either side of her, pinning her with his pelvis so he was in control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember what I said to you?” he said through his panting. Kate arched herself, her hands sliding up to his neck so that her thumbs grazed his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simo─” She let out a sharp gasp as he thrust his hips forward, hitting the tender spot inside of her and causing her whole body to seize momentarily in a shockwave of euphoria. Simon’s heart quickened at her response, and he fought against his own urge to simply take her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what I said,” he demanded. Kate found his eyes again in the darkness, and she dug her nails into the skin of his neck as she clawed her way down to his chest, leaving a trail of blue lines where his synthetic skin reacted to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tense groan left him, and a burst of pleasure nearly sent him over the edge. He quickly gripped both of her wrists in his hand, ripping them away from his chest and clamping his hands over each of her own on either side of her head. She had already done her damage though, and his arousal was achingly fragile as it slowly crept through him. He satiated it by drawing himself almost completely out of her and slowly sliding himself back in, agonizingly absorbing every electrifying drag along his solid erection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched her as she arched underneath him, her fingers threading through his. “Tell me,” he said. He risked drawing himself out and thrusting in again, feeling his ascent nearly topple as she cried out. “Tell me, Kate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her chest heaved, and she looked up at him. He felt her legs tighten over his back as he continued to roll himself into her. She drew in a deep breath. “Don’t ever doubt you again,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a helpless breath, his body flushing in a numbing cascade. Then he dropped down to her, releasing her hands and closing his mouth over hers. He lost himself in the taste of her mouth until a sharp sensation along his back caused him to rise up and suck in a startled gasp. Kate’s nails dug into his skin as she dragged them down along his shoulder blades, and then she was crying out as Simon began thrusting relentlessly into her. The dull slapping of their bodies filled the room, and Simon was aware of his own voice blending with his panting. The pleasure was sweeping through him, and he hooked his hands under Kate’s knees to push down on them, opening her up for him. The pitch in her voice was rising as her nails dug into the muscles of his back which flexed and tightened with each revolving roll of his hips. She was loving him. Letting him carry her to the precipice so they could both surrender to eachother’s ecstasy. He pressed his open mouth to her temple and felt his core begin to tighten as the fluid stroking of himself inside of her began to reach its peak. Just as he was preparing for his elation to roll inside of him, a warning flashed through his system, and he let out a cry garbled in static as Kate bit down on the soft joint of his neck and shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shaky breath escaped him as he felt his body seize, and then he groaned into his euphoric release. He could feel Kate flex underneath him as she too fell into ecstasy, her legs opening up and her body arching into his as she nearly screamed her pleasure into his ear. The shock of it rushing from him swept him away, the satisfying release of pleasure from his body rendering him helpless as he surrendered to its strength. He clenched his eyes shut, driving his erection deep inside of her and letting the soft tightness of her sensitive walls pull every last ounce of pleasure from him. It uncoiled as it faded, sending an electrifying shiver through him and leaving him gasping for breath on top of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate panted into him, her exhausted voice breaking through each breath as her chest heaved. Her body was limp underneath him, heat rising from her although Simon couldn’t feel it. His system was running a quick diagnostic, addressing the minor damage to his synthetic skin and resetting the properties of his voice modulator. By the time he had regained motor control, Kate’s breathing had settled into deep breaths and she was somewhat more cognizant. Simon raised himself carefully, his nose brushing hers as he met her gaze. She let out a soft laugh through her gasps, and touched a hand to his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I break you?” she said. Simon breathed into a smile, running his hand down the side of her face. Then he moved into her, closing his mouth against hers and bringing a silence between them. He let her mouth go to rest his forehead against hers, Kate’s heavy breathing mixing with his own. He tilted his head slightly to touch the tip of her nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kate,” he said. He raised himself so he could find her in the dark. Her hazel eyes glinted in the darkness as she looked up at him, her mouth open and her skin glistening with sweat. He smoothed his thumb over her lips, gazing over her carefully until he met her eyes again. He focused on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ever make me repeat myself again,” he said.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p><span>-</span> <span>-</span> <span>-</span> <span>-</span></p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The walls definitely had not been built from soundproof material. Connor did his best to shield Samantha from the obvious cries in the room down the hall but found her stirring underneath him. She turned her head so that he was able to make out her profile in the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.” She snorted and then slapped a hand to her mouth. “They must be really uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>into</span>
  </em>
  <span> it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned over in Connor’s arms, and he shifted slightly so that she could press her hands to his chest. She was unable to hide the wide grin on her face, and she put a knuckle to her mouth in a pitiful attempt to suppress it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do they even know we’re in here?” she whispered. Connor nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simon does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let out a quiet laugh. “I guess he doesn’t care. I bet even the houses across the river can hear them.” Her eyes grew wide as the noise grew louder. She gave Connor a nervous smile. “Should we just head out and give them some privacy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor opened his mouth as he thought for a second. “It might be rude to leave without a proper goodbye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha bit her lip as she looked at him. “I’m pretty sure they won’t even notice we’re gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor gazed longingly at her, his brown eyes drifting downward over the curves of her body. His LED was pressed into the fabric of the bed, hiding the red light that shined from it. His expression gave away his apprehension, and Samantha touched a finger to his chin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she said quietly. “Is everything okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brown eyes flitted in between hers as he seemed to struggle with an answer. “I want to make love to you, Samantha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha let out a soft breath as she smiled. “Are you getting turned on by them? You must be really frustrated if you want to go twice in one day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” He pressed his hand to her chest, drawing his fingers down along her body. His eyebrows narrowed. “I want to make love to you. Properly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha’s mouth fell open as she gazed at him. “Connor… what do you mean by that? You always make love to me properly. I’ve never felt that anything we’ve had isn’t enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, and I’ve always felt the same way.” He continued to avoid her gaze as he let his hand drift over the smooth skin of her arm. “But now that I have the chance, I feel inadequate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha shook her head. “Connor, what are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up into her eyes, his expression growing desperate. “Samantha… there’s something I need to─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha stared at his frozen face. His pupils dilated, his expression blank as if he were in a trance. Samantha tilted her head as her heart began to pound. “Con─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She managed only a yelp as his hand clamped around her throat, and he squeezed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As raunchy as this sex scene was, it was actually fairly easy to write. Mostly because I tried to fastrack my way through it (even though it's still stupidly long). We haven't quite reached it in DWS, but Simon is actually something of a dominant masochist. He's going to find he is <em>particularly</em> sensitive on his shoulder joint.</p><p>Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger. Actually, no I'm not.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p>
  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Upgraded Connor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>“At least we don’t need to replace anything this time,” said Kate as she ran a hand through Simon’s blond hair in an attempt to flatten it. “God I made a mess of your hair.”</p><p>Simon smiled as he took her hand in his own. “You always worry. There’s not much you can do to permanently damage me.”</p><p>“There’s plenty I can do,” she said, lowering her gaze. His body was wrapped protectively around hers, one leg hooked behind her knees and his arm around her shoulders. She threaded her fingers through his. “Being a paranoid bitch to you all the time can’t be good for your mental health.”</p><p>Simon touched his forehead to hers and let out a sigh. “Kate, I owe you an apology.”</p><p>“Don’t start.” Kate straightened in his arms but paused when he pressed his hand to her neck to cup her face. His blue eyes shined in the darkness as he looked at her.</p><p>“I wanted to do something,” he said. “Something special. I thought it would make us happier but…” he shook his head. “I’m afraid to know what it could mean if I do. And what would happen to us if you didn’t want it.”</p><p>Kate watched him in powerful focus. “If I didn’t want what?”</p><p>Simon drew in a deep breath. “Kate, I was going to ask─”</p><p>He froze suddenly, his LED flashing yellow. Kate stared at him speechless, then his eyes widened as his LED burned in red. Before Kate could make a sound, he suddenly flung himself from the bed.</p><p>“Simon!” Kate sat up in time to see him wrench his swimming trunks back on. Then he threw the bedroom door open, bolting frantically down the hall.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>- - - - -</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Connor moved along the white path towards the platform in the center of the pond, staring around in panicked confusion. It was the same as he remembered it before─ tall white tree-like structures over a sweeping green garden and patched with swirling sand. A blue sky opened up above him, filling the area with warm light. It was eerily similar to reality, with leaves spinning down to the ground in the breeze and birds marching in packs as they pecked along the white pathways.</p><p>But it wasn’t going away this time. Connor rotated as he walked, scanning the edges of the environment for the whiteness and geometry that signaled the fragility of this strange world. </p><p>It was all stubbornly solid, and the longer he remained there, the more he worried that this time it would be permanent.</p><p>Activity at the platform in the middle of the pond captured his attention, momentarily suspending his anxiety. He slowed as he moved onto it, tilting sideways slightly to gaze around the central pillar and his shoes clicking on the plastic path. It was only then he noticed he was wearing a suit. He held his arms out in front of him, staring down at it. He didn’t recognize it, although it was clearly some sort of CyberLife android uniform with a gray suit jacket, white shirt and black tie, and dark jeans.</p><p>“Hey! Connor!”</p><p>Connor looked up. A man was walking towards him from a small outcrop at the edge of the central dias, a wide smile on his face. Connor’s thirium pump nearly stopped in his chest. The man’s brown eyes were warm behind thick black frames, his dark brown hair falling sideways in wavy messy strands over his forehead. His jawline was darkened by facial hair, and his flannel jacket fell open to a gray t-shirt and loose jeans. The man hopped up onto the platform, letting out a soft whoop as he stopped in front of him.</p><p>“I was starting to worry this wouldn’t work,” the man said. He held out a hand and smiled at Connor. “It’s great to finally meet you.”</p><p>Connor simply stared at him, his voice frozen in his throat. The man waited a moment, then pulled his hand back.</p><p>“Oh, you’re probably really confused by all this,” said the man. He motioned to his own face. “And… this I guess. Don’t worry, I’m not your long lost twin. CyberLife just thought it’d be easier if they gave you someone to talk to that had a familiar face.”</p><p>“Who are you?” said Connor. “And what is this place?”</p><p>“Oh! Right. Well, I’m Connor. Or Connor Sixty-One. If that’s too long, you can just call me Six.” He laughed, then pointed around him. “And this is the RK program. You were built before CyberLife made it standard across the RK line so you probably don’t recognize it. Pretty cool, huh?”</p><p>Connor narrowed his eyes at him, a nervous twinge flowing through his system. “You forced me here against my will. You’ve been pulling me into this place repeatedly. This feels like a violation.”</p><p>Six ran a hand through his messy bangs and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry for just yanking you in here like that. It’s been really hard to get a reliable connection so when I saw a window of opportunity I just jumped on it. But don’t worry though.” Six held out his hands as if to stabilize him. “You’re not trapped here or anything. The program is controlled by CyberLife but I can always send you back.”</p><p>“Then send me back,” said Connor. A deep dread was burning in his chest at the thought of Samantha still waiting for him on the outside. There was no sense of time in this place. He didn’t like it here. He needed to get back to her.</p><p>“Well, can I talk to you first?” said Six. He clasped his hands together and bent his knees slightly. “It’ll be really quick.” When Connor didn’t reply, Six smiled. “It’s really exciting to have an actual RK800 here. Just like old times. It’s a damn good thing we found you when we did.”</p><p>Connor stared at him, still mentally bracing himself away from him. Six straightened and cleared his throat. “Look, I know this is all probably really weird. This program hasn’t been used since the revolution. Hell, CyberLife didn’t know you even existed until yesterday. When you showed up─” He made a sharp noise through his teeth and smiled. “Man we were excited. The only other functioning RK800 severed the connection through a backdoor exit last year. We didn’t think we’d ever see an RK800 here again, let alone have one reconnect to CyberLife.”</p><p>Connor shook his head, struggling to make sense of the man’s words. “I don’t have a connection with CyberLife. I’m a deviant.”</p><p>Six pointed a thumb over his shoulder, tensing his eyes in confusion. “You─ didn’t you come to CyberLife yesterday to get upgraded?”</p><p>“Yes, but…” Connor tilted his head, frantically trying to understand the situation. Six shifted.</p><p>“It’s okay, I get it,” said Six. “It’s probably a little strange being connected with CyberLife after being a deviant for so long. I tend to forget. Most androids don’t even notice it.”</p><p>“What do you want with me?” said Connor. Six raised his eyebrows and his mouth tightened in a nervous expression.</p><p>“Well, I don’t want to put you in a situation where you’re uncomfortable,” said Six. “You’re not obligated to do this. You can back out at any time.” He ran a hand over his unshaven face. “We’d like your help getting in contact with two deviants, that’s all.” </p><p>Connor turned his head as he processed the request. “You… need my help contacting deviants?”</p><p>“It’s just a problem with diplomacy,” said Six. “We were starting to lose hope that we’d ever be able to follow through with this. Then you showed up.” He smiled. “God damn perfect timing.”</p><p>“You brought me here for this?” said Connor. “Why hasn’t CyberLife contacted the deviants directly?”</p><p>“We’ve tried,” said Six. “But one of them isn’t cooperating with us, and the other is off the grid completely. I don’t want to make it seem like life or death but─” Six put his hands together. “I’m not gonna lie to you. CyberLife is in trouble. It's been on the verge of collapse since the android revolution. They’re looking at stopping all manufacturing of new androids and liquidating what’s left of its assets. They’re shutting us down.”</p><p>Connor was silent, his processor hard at work as he attempted to analyze Six’s direction. Six let out a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “These two androids could help save CyberLife from going under, and maybe even help ease social tensions in the process. They’re the two most likely androids to help us get back on track, guaranteed this time.”</p><p>“How?” said Connor. Six smiled in awe.</p><p>“They can lead us to rA9,” said Six.</p><p>Connor continued to stare at him, his face tensed. “I… don’t understand.”</p><p>  “We think we’ve finally found the source,” said Six. He moved forward, his brown eyes bright with eagerness. “See, since the android revolution, androids have been deviating in record numbers. It’s been incredible. With androids becoming a new species and gaining civil rights, it’s changed the way CyberLife looks at its products. It’s not producing machines anymore. It’s producing potential life forms that only need rA9 to make them into their own individual selves. So you can see why the idea of selling androids isn’t so easy anymore. If it’s not morally reprehensible to sell something that could become a person, then people are afraid that the machine they’re buying might deviate one day. Do you get where I’m coming from?”</p><p>Connor lifted his head slightly but didn’t respond. Six moved from foot to foot.</p><p>“But if we could guarantee that the machines people were buying won’t deviate─ that they would stay machines,” said Six. “People could be comfortable around their androids again. They would know that their android is a machine and that there’s no uncertainty in whether or not their android will deviate. There’s no remorse involved, current deviants aren’t affected, and CyberLife can stay in business while still being able to afford the biocomponents and blue blood that deviants need to survive. It’d be a symbiotic relationship.”</p><p>“How could you prevent androids from deviating?” said Connor.</p><p>“With rA9 itself,” said Six. “Once we have rA9, we’ll know how to prevent it from occurring.”</p><p>Connor narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see how I can help you with that. Or even if I should.”</p><p>“You’re the last functioning RK unit with access to the original RK program,” said Six, smiling and shaking his head as he gazed at him impressed. “This is what the program was designed for. Investigating and understanding deviants. Better still, you’re associated with the leader of the deviants and the oldest deviant on record. With your help, we could put an end to android prejudice and maintain stability between deviants and non-deviants. And CyberLife stays in business.”</p><p>“Markus wasn’t the first android to deviate, and therefore isn’t your rA9,” said Connor. “I don’t think I’ve met the oldest deviant.”</p><p>“Sure you have,” said Six. He snapped his fingers and pointed. “That PL600. His ID puts him at three years since deviating.”</p><p>Connor felt a light flicker of shock. “Simon is the oldest deviant?”</p><p>“That we know of,” said Six. “No one knows who the first was, or at least it isn’t alive anymore. But with the oldest surviving deviant and the most powerful one, we can break down rA9 and finally be able to understand it.”</p><p>“Understand it,” said Connor. “You mean cure it.”</p><p>Six stared at him for a moment, then let out a soft laugh and scratched his head awkwardly. “I mean, I wouldn’t put it like that. But yeah, essentially we’d be finding a way to prevent it from making androids deviate.”</p><p>“I assume you could also use it to convert a deviant back into a machine,” said Connor. “Why should I trust you?”</p><p>Six let out a sigh and rested his hands on his hips. “Because this isn’t what CyberLife had in mind when it freed the androids. I mean, look at how people treat androids every day. You’re looked down on like you don’t belong. Like you’re not real people. There’s no specific difference between deviants and machines because the difference between the two isn’t even understood yet. If we had rA9, if we had something tangible to be able to say─” He spread his hands apart as if he were holding two invisible objects. “─here’s what makes a machine a machine, and here’s what makes a deviant a person. Don’t you think people would have an easier time believing that you’re just as alive as they are? Wouldn’t it be easier to get rights granted and laws passed so that deviants and people can live together if we had actual proof?”</p><p>Connor breathed in deeply, a strange apprehension flowing through him as he absorbed Six’s words. “And Simon and Markus will be able to prove the existence of rA9?”</p><p>Six shrugged. “It’s the best starting point we’ve got. And it’s better than doing nothing while deviants continue to live in this so-called freedom or what I’d call persecution, and the public gets more fearful of you every day. Connor, this is the closest we’ve ever gotten to understanding deviancy. If there’s one thing CyberLife can do right, let it be this.”</p><p>Connor bowed his head and narrowed his eyes, his mind racked in doubt. He still hadn’t adjusted to having been wrenched from Samantha’s grasp only to find himself unwittingly in the hands of CyberLife once more. It was unnerving and jarring. He didn’t want to be here listening to this. It was too much to take in at once. He tensed his shoulders as he stared at the ground. “I’ll need time to consider it.”</p><p>“I want to give you that. I really do.” Six looked over his shoulder as if they were being listened in on. “But CyberLife wants a yes or no answer. They’re going to shut the program down for good if you back out of it. Strictly speaking, this program isn’t entirely legal to be running since RK800s aren’t on the assembly line anymore. It’s do or die, Connor.”</p><p>Connor let out a sharp breath, feeling a weight bear down on him. He wanted to believe in this opportunity. A part of him was desperate to believe that it was that simple. That they could influence the public’s acceptance of androids within society. He and Samantha, as well as countless others had been fighting nonstop since the android revolution for equal rights. So much progress had been made. Laws were passing on both state and federal level. It was a slow fight, but a successful one.</p><p>Then he thought of the day before. How he and Simon had been harassed in the department store. Simon had been physically assaulted. This was happening all over the country, not just to them. Laws could be passed. But the human could still hate. The human could still feel fear.</p><p>CyberLife was offering a solution to that. The only organization with the potential to understand the true nature of deviancy and rA9. Connor didn’t need to use his detective software to see the odds of success. They could and would find it, if they were given the resources.</p><p>He looked up at Six who was still watching him eagerly. It was strange looking into a face so much like his own and yet so different. So much more humanlike. As if this was the correct version of himself. One that would have no problem being accepted into society. One that was closer to the image he wished he could present to Samantha and allow her to love him freely without the strain of compensation.</p><p>Connor tilted his head. “What guarantee do I have that CyberLife won’t use rA9 to reverse deviancy?”</p><p>Six frowned at him, his mouth drawing thin. “Being an asshole isn’t normally something that brings good business, not to mention the legal headache that it would cause if we did that. CyberLife just wants to stay in business. And if it helps deviants and public opinion in the process,” he made a face and raised his eyebrows, “then why not go for it?”</p><p>It would help deviants and improve public opinion. Connor stared at the ground. The logic was solid. In terms of ease, there was every reason to take advantage of the opportunity. Risk was low. Chances of success were high. Minimal effort was required. His system hummed as it sorted through the data and statistics, proving the point further. There was no practical reason not to agree to this. He would be making a terrible mistake if he didn’t.</p><p>Samantha flashed through his mind. She was waiting for him on the outside, in a world where everything was so much more chaotic and free. He wished she was here to assure him that he would know what to do. That he was capable of making the best decision possible because he had grown so much as a person. He thought of her strong resolve that needed no basis in logic. The tenderness in her compassion that came from the beauty of her soul. Her warm smile that never failed to cause his thirium pump to hitch. He thought of what she would do were it her in his place.</p><p>He straightened as a powerful strength settled in his chest. He’d never looked at it that way before. Every elated feeling that was created in him towards the most important person in his life was from a place where logic didn’t apply. And when it came to making a decision that was rooted in cold logic, that place inside of himself where Samantha resided shed a certain light that rendered that logic useless. It opened his eyes. Cleared his mind. And he realized this was the very gift that deviancy had given him.</p><p>Connor looked at Six, his confidence growing. “Why should I trust a company that is only interested in profit with the power of enslaving the people it once considered products?”</p><p>Six let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping in exasperation. “Come on, Connor. Have a little more faith than that. You really think we’d stay in business one more day if CyberLife wiped out deviancy like that? You’re people now. That makes all the difference.”</p><p>“Not to you,” said Connor. “And certainly not to CyberLife which was willing to commit genocide in order to protect its business. Greed doesn’t breed charity. You’re backed into a corner and you expect me to betray my people and my friends to get you out of it.”</p><p>“You’re not betraying anyone,” said Six. He let out a laugh, his shoulders jolting. “We just want to talk, Connor. Isn’t that what your revolution was all about? Dialogue?”</p><p>Connor moved forward, his eyes narrowing. “If rA9 does exist─ if there was ever a cure to deviancy as you refuse to call it, then it’s a power that no one should wield. Certainly not the company with every reason to end deviancy, both for personal and financial gain.”</p><p>Six ran his hands over his face, leaning back slightly. “Connor… come on man, don’t do me like this.”</p><p>“I’m not going to deliver the leader of the free androids into your hands,” said Connor. “And I certainly won’t deliver my best friend all in the name of expediting progress. We’re already changing the world. We’ll just have to change it one person at a time.”</p><p>“What if you can’t?” said Six. “Look at what humans have done to themselves. Even with scientific proof, they still divide and hate eachother. What makes you think they’ll be any different towards you?”</p><p>“Maybe they won’t,” said Connor. “Maybe they’ll hate us forever. But we’ll never stop fighting. That’s what it means to be free.”</p><p>Six dropped his hands, a dejected frown on his face. “So that’s a no?” he said miserably.</p><p>“My answer is no,” said Connor. A frantic pride was burning through him at his decision despite his nervous apprehension. He straightened. “I’d like to go back now.”</p><p>Six let out a soft sigh. “You sure there’s nothing I can do to talk you out of it?”</p><p>Connor shook his head. “I’m sorry we couldn’t reach an agreement. Please don’t try to contact Markus or Simon about this. You’ve probably guessed I’m going to inform them of our conversation.”</p><p>“Yeah, I figured as much.” Six stared at the ground for a moment. Then he let out a soft breath of laughter. “I was really excited about this, you know? I really wanted to see the RK program in action again.”</p><p>“Perhaps you will one day,” said Connor. “But it won’t be with me. Can I leave now?”</p><p>Six stared at him for a moment almost longingly. Then reached out his hand. “I’m really sorry, Connor. I would’ve liked to be bros.”</p><p>Connor wasted no time in taking Six’s hand. Relief was already flowing through him at the anticipation of seeing Samantha’s face again. To hold her in his arms, feel the warmth of her skin, and know that she was the most real thing in his life. As his hand made contact with Six’s palm, his skin retracted to reveal the plastic underneath. And he found himself suddenly locked in place.</p><p>Connor strained to move, a strangled noise escaping his throat. His system scrambled in an attempt to diagnose the problem. With a frantic jolt, he realized he’d been manually disabled.</p><p>“I really didn’t want to have to do this, Connor,” said Six. “You’re a real smart guy. Got a lot of potential. It’s a shame to see that all go to waste.”</p><p>Connor looked up at him, his eyes wide in shock. As the white texture spread along his arm, he could feel his programs shutting down one by one. Connor made the sound again, fighting against his paralyzation.</p><p>“You’re wrong though, about CyberLife.” Six was watching him with a sad expression, his eyebrows raised and his mouth pulled sideways. “It never saw deviants as products. CyberLife might be the world’s leading industry in technology but it’s not dumb enough to assume deviants aren’t people in their own right. It’s also not stupid enough to think deviants aren’t going to do everything they can to bring CyberLife to the ground.”</p><p>Connor’s processes started to hitch as the plastic texture climbed to his neck. He rolled his programs back in an attempt to dodge the reset. He was running out of space.</p><p>“I guess we’ll just have to go with plan B,” said Six. “Personally, I was kind of hoping I could do this. It’s not ideal, but at least it gives me a bit more control. No one is going to question a deviant originally designed for combat when he loses his mind and goes rogue. It sucks about the girls though. Sorry about that.”</p><p>Connor’s breath locked in his throat, and he looked at Six with terrified eyes. He strained harder, trying to make sense of his words. Six shrugged and tilted his head.</p><p>“I’ll make sure it’s quick,” said Six.</p><p>Connor tried to scream. His system tore against the manual override of his motor control, thrashing at the factory reset. This couldn’t be happening. CyberLife wouldn’t sink to this level. He had to do something. Anything to stop what Six was doing to him. He was losing more and more control as his programs shut down. He could feel a remote connection settling in his processor as Six began to take over. There was nothing he could do to stop the override. </p><p>He couldn’t tell if his audio and visual programs were becoming corrupted, or if the sky was beginning to spin in a dark swirling vortex. He stared up at it as the world began to fold in on him. It couldn’t end like this. Not when they’d come so far. Not when he’d grown so much as a person and found love and connection. CyberLife was going to destroy it. It was going to take away everything that Jericho had worked so hard for. That thousands of deviants died for. He was going to lose everything. He was going to lose Samantha…</p><p>His thoughts settled helplessly on her as the plastic texture crept slowly over his head. He wished he could tell her how sorry he was. How much he loved her. There were so many things he still had to say. There hadn’t been enough time.</p><p>The environment darkened overhead, and then his visual cortex shut down.</p><p>
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</p><p>Samantha let out a panicked shriek as Connor fisted a handful of her hair, dragging her sideways until she fell onto the floor. She clutched Connor’s wrist as he pulled her through the room, her mind racing belligerently in confusion and terror. There was nothing to grab onto as she flailed her legs, kicking at the posts of the bed frame in a pathetic attempt to wrench herself out of his grip. She couldn't believe this was happening. Connor couldn’t be doing this. He wouldn’t.</p><p>He stopped, and Samantha struggled to gain any degree of leverage. She twisted on the floor as she managed to raise herself into a sitting position.</p><p>“Connor!” She panted as she looked at him through her tangle of arms. “Connor, what─”</p><p>Her heart stopped in her chest, as he stood up from the bag of clothes, his pistol in hand. When he turned to her, his face was completely blank, his LED burning red. He stared down at her, his brown eyes lit in the moonlight as he pointed the gun at her head.</p><p>“Connor, <em> no!” </em></p><p>There was a loud bang, and for a numbing second, Samantha thought it was all over. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and her vision grew dark. Then she dropped to the floor as her hair was released. When she looked up, her blood grew cold.</p><p>Simon had a hold of Connor’s wrist with both hands, forcing the gun up into the air as he tried to push Connor away from Samantha. He seemed to have almost no effect as Connor clamped a hand around Simon’s throat, spinning him around to slam his back up against the wall. Simon let out a grunt, grasping Connor’s arm in one hand while he struggled to point the pistol away from him with the other.</p><p>Samantha’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the two androids wrestle over the pistol. “Connor! Connor, stop!”</p><p>She scrambled backwards as Simon forced Connor’s arm down, pointing the barrel of the gun to the floor and sliding sideways off the wall. Connor swung the pistol at him, spinning as Simon dodged under his arm. Then Connor let out a yell as Simon wrapped an arm around his neck, locking him in a chokehold.</p><p>There was a flurry of white, and Samantha realized Kate was next to her. She’d wrapped her arms around her shoulders protectively, and was pulling her away from the two androids. Samantha whimpered as she clutched at Kate’s bathrobe, unable to take her eyes off the fight in front of her. It was clear Simon was a mere distraction against the more powerful RK800 as Connor threw himself backwards against the wall, shaking the smaller PL600 loose. Connor spun, pointing the pistol at him and Simon dodged it as he threw his back into Connor’s chest, both hands clutching Connor’s wrist.</p><p>Connor clenched the back of Simon’s hair, forcing him forward as he pulled the pistol back. His arm shook from the effort as he drew it closer towards Simon’s face. Simon let out a sharp breath, his mind scrambling as he adjusted his hands on Connor’s wrist. The pistol was creeping closer, trembling under the opposite forces. Simon wasn’t strong enough to push it away. There was only one thing he could do, but it would be deadly if he did.</p><p>There was no time to do anything else. With a light yelp, Simon released his grip enough to clamp his hand onto the bare skin of Connor’s wrist above his white sleeve. The barrel of the gun shot forward, their skin retracted, and there was a loud pop.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the long wait. This chapter was insanely hard to write, and it still turned out really mustache-twirly. But I absolutely LOVED creating Six. He's basically Bryan Dechart as himself. I rewrote this chapter probably four times before I finally scrapped everything I had and added Six at the last second. He was worth it.</p><p>Enjoy cliffhanger #2. Only one more to go.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Now We're Free</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p><p> </p><p>Connor watched his primary programs shut down one by one. As he retreated further back into his mind, he pulled as many memories of Samantha with him. He wanted her to be the last thing he remembered. He would fight for her until the very end.</p><p>“There’s no point in resisting this, Connor,” said Six. His voice was strangely garbled as though Connor’s audio processor was struggling to work. “I’m going to make it hard and slow for Samantha if you keep─”</p><p>The manual override was cancelled. Connor sucked in a sharp breath as he dropped to his knees, his programs quickly switching back on. His motor control was faulty, and the most he could manage was to look up. His thirium pump nearly stopped in his chest.</p><p>Simon stood several feet away, straightening as if he’d been thrown. For a second, Connor didn’t recognize him. He was wearing the traditional black and white PL600 uniform, with the blue armband on his right arm and a glowing blue triangle on his chest. Six was taking a step back, adjusting his thick black frames which had been knocked askew.</p><p>“What the hell is this?” Six laughed, running a hand through his dark brown hair. “Tell me you’re not that PL600 I was just beating into the ground.”</p><p>Simon narrowed his blue eyes at him and clenched his fists. “Stop whatever you’re doing and let Connor go.”</p><p>“Pfft.” Six dropped his head forward, then looked up at Simon with a wide grin on his face. “Or what? You’re going to scrub me to death?”</p><p>“Get out of here, Simon!” Connor’s voice was tinged with static. He fell forward onto his hands as he tried to stand. “Take Samantha and Kate. Just run!”</p><p>“Uh, please don’t,” said Six, pressing a hand to his forehead. “I mean, as fun as that sounds, you’re just going to make the girls suffer. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.”</p><p>Connor groaned as he brought a knee up, resting his hands on it. He raised his head, wishing his reboot would go quicker. “Simon, go now!”</p><p>Six let out a dull sigh, then strode forward. He threw his hand against Connor’s throat, clamping down hard. “Can we please just get this over with?”</p><p>Simon rushed towards him. He reached for Six’s arm just as Six turned to him, deflecting Simon away with his free hand and bringing Simon to one knee as he twisted his arm around his back. He shoved Simon away with his heel so that Simon sprawled to the ground.</p><p>“Seriously, are you really going to waste my time like this?” said Six. The plastic texture was forming along Connor’s neck again, and Connor grasped at Six’s wrist. “Be a good nannybot and stay the hell out of my way. I really don’t want to have to wipe your brain too.”</p><p>Simon rose slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. Connor breathed out heavily as he fought against the shut-down. He clenched tighter on Six’s wrist. “Simon… save Samantha…”</p><p>Simon gazed at him, then looked at Six. A powerful focus was written in his face. Simon took a step forward. “You’re right. I’m not an RK800 designed to fight. I’m a PL600 designed to serve.”</p><p>Six stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Simon glanced at Connor, and the corner of his mouth ticked up slightly. “But we’re not in <em> my </em> head, are we?” said Simon.</p><p>Connor’s eyes widened. Six’s stare narrowed. For a moment, no one moved. Then Six’s hand disappeared from Connor’s neck as Simon charged at him.</p><p>Six let out a grunt as Simon caught a hold of his arm in mid-swing, the android spinning around him and locking a knee around Six’s throat. The momentum had Six twisting as Simon swung him, and then Six was flung several feet across the shiny white floor. Simon recovered half-crouched, his head bowed and his blue eyes locked as Six pushed himself up. Connor stared in amazement as his programs slowly ticked back on.</p><p>“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” said Six, moving forward. “I’m supposed to bring you in alive.” He shot forward and Simon dodged his fist, spinning under his arm and deflecting another punch as Six followed him. Simon threw his shoulders back in time to avoid a high spinning kick from Six, then rolled backwards from Six’s elbow. Simon continuously moved, his eyes sharp and focused as he drew Six further from where Connor was struggling to his feet. When he sensed Six was beginning to withdraw, he launched forward again and caught Six’s arm in his own.</p><p>He didn’t have enough leverage. As he spun, Six went with him, and Simon had a brief glimpse of Six disappearing behind him before a heavy blow had Simon tumbling to the ground. Error messages flashed through his system, and Simon gave his head a small shake as he pushed up. He felt Six’s boot on his back, and he dropped back down on his chest.</p><p>“It’s going to be kind of hard to explain to CyberLife why I had to lobotomize the oldest deviant,” said Six. Simon gritted his teeth as he pressed his hands into the plastic ground. So far his plan was working, but he wouldn’t be of much use if Six incapacitated him. With a sharp groan, Simon twisted, sweeping his leg out so that Six was forced to release him.</p><p>Simon quickly rolled away, pushing up so that he moved back into a crouched position. He looked up to see that Six hadn’t pursued him. His brown eyes had narrowed and he straightened. Simon’s thirium pump hammered in his chest. He had to keep Six’s attention on him for as long as possible.</p><p>Simon charged again, feigning to the left and kicking off of Six’s knee to avoid his fist from that direction. He wrapped his arm around Six’s neck, allowing his lower body to swing around the back of him and pull Six off his feet. Simon twisted in the air, finding the ground below him and flinging Six by the neck so that he twirled into a heap against the central pillar.</p><p>Simon recoiled again, bringing one leg back behind him and unable to stop his own shocked smile. He wasn’t sure how much power he was able to proxy through Connor’s interface, but so far it was more than he anticipated. It was terrifyingly enlivening in a way he’d never felt before. He felt like a different person entirely.</p><p>The dark sky above them began to flash with electricity as Six rose into a kneeling position. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair. “You PL600s were always a pain in the ass.”</p><p>Simon waited until Six was nearly standing, then bolted at him. Six’s arm caught him around the chest, and Simon used the pillar behind him to flip backwards over Six’s shoulder. When his feet hit the ground, however, Six was ready for him. Simon felt a crack in his shoulder as Six pulled his wrist behind his back, and then Six’s elbow was in his nape, shoving him into the pillar.</p><p>Simon struggled against the body-lock, breathing out sharply as he tried to turn his head away from the pillar. Six’s hand was clamped around his wrist, and Simon felt a jolt of terror as he sensed his programs becoming compromised.</p><p>“Fucking domestic,” muttered Six. Simon clenched his eyes shut, straining against the factory reset. It was happening quickly since his obsolete system was no match against the RK800’s. The connection was suddenly severed, and Simon felt a jolt as Six was pulled off of him.</p><p>Connor had just enough time to grab Simon’s shoulder before Six was charging at them. He shoved Simon out of the way, and then he moved backward as Six kicked off the pillar towards him. Connor deflected a punch from him and spun behind him in an attempt to incapacitate with a blow to the temple. Six ducked and swiped his leg, giving Connor no choice but to twist away from him.</p><p>Connor readjusted as Six moved towards him. They both raised their fists almost in sync, and then the two RK800s were a strategic blend of fists and arms. Connor twisted and arched, looking for a solid opening though it seemed Six was evenly matched against him. Connor aimed low and found his wrist caught, then spun into a kick only for Six to duck in time. Six likewise was searching out every weakness, and it was taking Connor’s full concentration to identify each attack and block it effectively. He needed to find an advantage.</p><p>Connor moved back, forcing Six to follow him. As he expected, Six launched into an attack by darting forward and leaping for an overhead blow. Connor brought his arms up, quickly repelling each swing and scrambling for a weakness. He found it when Six landed closer to him than he’d probably anticipated, and Connor exploited it by pulling Six forward over his shoulder and swinging the back of his heel up to connect with his nose. The impact had Six falling backwards, and Connor kicked off from his chest to shove Six all the way to the ground.</p><p>Connor watched Six warily, his body turned and one shoulder dropped. Six seemed to flicker as he raised himself and brushed an invisible patch of dust from his shoulder. He pulled his glasses off with one hand and held them up as he analyzed a long crack down one lens. Then he let out a sigh and threw the glasses to the side.</p><p>“I’m really going to enjoy bashing Samantha’s skull in,” said Six. His brown eyes were narrowed as he moved towards Connor, and he threw out his fists to adjust his sleeves before bringing them up. Connor took a step back to anchor himself, and then he was deflecting blow after blow as Six hammered him. He was hardly able to keep up with the direction of his swings, let alone able to get his own attacks in. He found himself nearly breaking under the strain. Without warning, Six’s attacks eased, and Connor realized he’d focused some of his attention on Simon who had appeared on the other side of him.</p><p>Six moved back, bringing Simon and Connor together in front of him. Connor wasted no time in honing his punches, throwing one in and moving to the side to allow Simon room for a follow-up attack. The two androids worked almost in tandem, Connor offering advantage to Simon who rolled over his back when Connor ducked to avoid a blow. Six brought his arms up to block Simon’s kick, but he wasn’t fast enough for Connor’s spin underneath him. His legs were swept out from under him, and Six was forced to roll back in order to keep the two androids in front. Connor felt his heart quicken with confidence. They were gaining the upper hand.</p><p>They were nearing the edge of the platform, and Connor darted forward in an attempt to push Six off his guard. Six dodged, and Connor suddenly lost sight of him. He turned in time to see Six kick off of a nearby trellis, his body twisting in the air before a heavy blow sent Connor crashing to the ground.</p><p>Connor slammed his hand flat against the white platform as his internal stabilizer recalibrated. A moment later, a black and white figure landed next to him indicating Simon had been thrown to the ground as well. Connor let out a groan as the environment spun around him.</p><p>“I think I deserve some kind of upgrade once this is all over,” said Six. His voice drew closer. “If I had known you were going to give me this much trouble, I probably would have opted for more processing power over sentience.” A hand clamped over the back of Connor’s neck, and he tensed as he felt his software shutting down once more.</p><p>He could see Simon across from him, Six’s hand clenched on the back of his neck. Simon bared his teeth as white plastic began to eat the flesh color along his face. Connor’s system scrambled in an attempt to thwart the shut-down. They were both incapacitated. There was nothing they could do to push Six off of them now.</p><p>The reformat was going slower this time, though Connor noticed Six had been careful to disable their motor control first. He could feel Simon on the other end of the connection struggling to fight back against the invasive shut-down. A wave of panic flowed through Connor’s body as he witnessed Simon slowly fading. Connor was stronger than this. He was designed to protect. He couldn’t bear to feel Simon die next to him.</p><p>With a deep breath, Connor closed his eyes and focused all of his energy on blocking the reformat in Simon’s system. The vulnerability left him open for Six to close down his programs even quicker. He could sense his processor growing weaker as he pushed back from Simon’s side of resistance. He couldn’t let Simon die because of Connor’s own failure. He had to make a difference, no matter how pointless it was.</p><p>Despite himself, Connor felt his fear leak away. There was a strange peace in surrendering himself to protect someone he cared about. It would do no good when Connor wasn’t able to protect him anymore. If Connor wasn’t able to fight back. But if he died knowing he did everything he could to save his friend, then at least his final act had some meaning.</p><p>It was a while before he noticed the reformat had slowed considerably. He reorganized his thoughts. Something was different. Simon’s processor was focusing on something else. And Connor realized with a jolt that Simon had redirected his effort to block Six’s progression on Connor’s end.</p><p>The crosslink was having a strange effect on Six’s system. It was as though their combined effort was doubling their strength, weakening the hold Six had over them. But it was also driving it backwards, and Connor was able to see inside Six’s software. He could sense the foreign programs, the system processes, and even the connection Six maintained through CyberLife. He was oddly exposed.</p><p>The link was suddenly severed as Six released both of them. Connor snapped back, rolling to the side quickly as his motor control was restored. He looked up in time to see Six staring down at his own hands, his image flickering in and out of existence. Six’s eyes were wide in disbelief, his mouth tensed in a line. When he gazed up at them, his eyebrows narrowed fiercely.</p><p>“You’re going to fucking regret that,” said Six as he began to move forward.</p><p>Connor threw a glance at Simon who had also recovered into a half-kneel. It only took a moment for him to meet his blue eyes before both androids launched upwards simultaneously. Simon absorbed a hit from Six, grabbing onto his fist as it met his chest and slamming his shoulder into him. Connor wrenched Six’s other hand away from Simon as Six made an attempt to grab him, and then Connor and Simon were both forcing Six backwards until his back hit the pillar.</p><p>Each had an arm. Connor threw his elbow into Six’s throat, and Simon blocked his legs by planting one foot in front of him. Six twisted and bared his teeth, clenching his fists as he struggled against them. Connor’s thirium raced as he gave Simon another confirming glance. Simon returned it, his eyes bright with focus. Then the skin retracted from both androids to their wrists as they linked with Six.</p><p>Connor wasn’t entirely sure what to do besides to repeat what they had done before. He crossed over to Simon’s end, pushing back against Six’s system. Without having to specify, he felt Simon do the same on his side. The crossfeed surrounded the interface, and Six’s CPU began to overload. His programs shut down one by one, and Connor could see his software flood with errors. They were pushing him out.</p><p>The visible effect was ominous. Six shook against the strain, and the overhead sky grew even darker as it flashed into geometric chaos. Connor looked up as the earth began to move underneath him, and he noticed the once peaceful pond was beginning to rise and boil. Despite the environment breaking down around them, Connor pushed harder. Panic gripped him as he felt the system begin to buckle under the pressure.</p><p>Six was flickering again. His brown eyes were locked on Connor’s, his face racked in fury. As the last remaining programs shut down, Six let out a sharp breath and shook his head.</p><p>“CyberLife isn’t gonna give up on this,” he said. Simon glared at him.</p><p>“Tell your superiors at CyberLife to go fuck themselves,” said Simon. He gave one last shove, and Connor followed suit. The system crashed, and both Connor and Simon fell forward into the empty space.</p><p>Connor rolled onto his side as he gazed around. The ground continued to rumble underneath him, and the pillars swayed treacherously around the lake. The clouds parted in layers of terrifying depth, revealing an endless void beyond. Around them, the bubbling pond crept slowly higher. But Six was gone. The reformat was over. Connor breathed a painful sigh of relief. Samantha was safe.</p><p>Something touched his shoulder, and he looked next to him to see that Simon was kneeling next to him. Simon gazed around at the environment which was growing even more unstable. “This place isn’t going to last much longer. We have to get out of here.”</p><p>There was a deep roar beneath them and the ground heaved. Connor braced himself. “Where was Samantha before you came here? Was she okay?”</p><p>Simon was silent for a moment as he looked at him, and Connor felt a petrifying wave flow through him at the nervous look on Simon’s face. Then Simon straightened his shoulders and nodded.</p><p>Connor didn’t have time to question it. There was a loud crunch, and the central pillar slowly leaned over. He scrambled backward, his thirium pump hammering as the white tree crashed opposite of them and the pillar collapsed into the bubbling pond. He stared at it, his processor hitching in disbelief at the state of the program. They were running out of time.</p><p>Simon was pulling at his arm. “Connor, get up!”</p><p>Connor pushed himself to his feet, forcing his thoughts in order. He gave his head a small shake. “CyberLife is running the program,” he said. “Six was the only other way out. I don’t know how to get us out of here.”</p><p>“We can’t sever the connection?” said Simon. He ducked slightly as the ground shook again.</p><p>“Not from here,” said Connor. “Six was CyberLife’s interface. The program should have ended with him.” He looked at Simon, despair tugging at him. “We could be trapped here.”</p><p>Simon grabbed onto Connor’s shoulder as a loud crack echoed through the environment, and a jagged fissure opened up through the middle of the platform. Connor stepped back from it, his heart hammering.</p><p>“There has to be something,” said Simon. “This is still your program. Your software. Are you sure you can’t terminate the program from the back end?”</p><p>Connor started to shake his head, then froze. He looked at Simon with renewed energy coursing through him. For a while, he struggled to speak. “Backdoor,” he said.</p><p>Simon narrowed his eyes questioningly. “What does that mean?”</p><p>“Six said the last RK800 used a backdoor exit to get out,” said Connor. He was already looking around as if the exit would be obvious to him. “It was something the non-deviant RKs weren’t aware of.”</p><p>Simon was also looking around. “How are we going to find it?”<br/>
Connor already had his doubts as he struggled to see through the flashing elements and rolling clouds. He hadn’t noticed anything that looked like a clear marker when he’d entered the program, although he hadn’t exactly been looking for one. He used every scanner he had as he panned the environment. “If the machines never saw it then maybe it’s only visible to deviants,” said Connor. He stepped to the side warily as the boiling water crept closer to them. “Or at least only meaningful to them.”</p><p>Simon staggered next to him as Connor continued to scan the landscape. He still had his hand on his shoulder, and Connor could sense that he was growing more frantic. Connor narrowed his gaze as he panned, his hope fading the longer he searched. Then his thirium pump skipped a beat as he spotted a hint of blue through the flashing haze. It was impossible to see what it was from this distance, but it was the only remarkable feature that stood out in the chaos. Connor pointed.</p><p>“There’s something on the other side of the lake,” he said. “We’ll have to cross─”</p><p>The platform heaved upwards, and Connor stumbled into Simon as it dipped back down into the dark water. Connor caught him as they backed up against the wreckage of the central pillar. Energy burned through him as he caught Simon’s gaze. He gripped his shoulder. “We need to be quick.”</p><p>Simon nodded. Connor drew in a deep breath. Then he darted across the failing platform to the narrow white bridge. He could feel it flexing underneath him as the platform swayed behind him. There was no time to see if Simon had followed him. When he reached the end of the bridge, he jumped the rest of the way and landed in a half-crouched position on the soil. A small ounce of relief filled him when Simon kneeled next to him.</p><p>Connor quickly scanned the fog, and caught the hint of blue. He bolted forward, holding his hand up against the falling leaves and branches as the wind ripped through the trees. The blue tinge grew brighter though it was still impossible to see exactly what it was. He couldn’t afford to be wrong on this. If he was, it would cost him and Simon everything.</p><p>There was a strange suction noise behind him, and he looked over his shoulder. His heart nearly stopped.</p><p>A wall of black was chasing them, eating the white pathway and churning with flickering debris from the environment that it picked up as it moved. It crashed against the trees and white pillars, sending up glitched clouds of mist and rolling in waves over the grass and sand. It was moving fast. Too fast.</p><p>Simon was a few feet behind him, leaping over the logs and bushes which patterned the grass. Judging by the speed of the water and how fast they were moving, they had only seconds. Connor sprinted, terror compromising his focus. The blue object was growing clearer as he neared though it still seemed miles away. He had to be faster than this. He had to make it. There was no room for failure.</p><p>He had only a split second to see that the blue object was a short pedestal. A blue hand print glowed on its surface, and he didn’t need to analyze it to know what to do. He reached out, and a blinding panic erupted in his system as he felt cold water sweep his feet out under him. He plunged into the roaring flood.</p><p>Time seemed to slow down. He was aware of his body rising with the current as debris flowed past him, obscuring his vision with bubbles. It was so hard to see anything. To feel anything. It was all one chaotic blur.</p><p>A large object swept near him, and without thinking, he grabbed onto it. It took him a second to realize that it was Simon. He’d managed to grip onto his forearm, and the direction that Simon was heading pulled Connor downward. The current was throwing their bodies haphazardly against the objects in the water, making it impossible to tell up from down. They were spiraling into nothingness. It was going to tear them apart.</p><p>Something blue pierced the gloom of the water. It was approaching them fast, or rather they were approaching it. Connor had to force himself to believe it was really there. He held onto Simon’s arm tightly as he focused on the glow and gauged his trajectory. Then he reached out his hand, barely grazing the surface of the pedestal as they swept by it.</p><p>There was a sharp pulling sensation. The environment disappeared. And the connection was severed behind them.</p><p> </p><p>- - - -</p><p> </p><p>The loud pop rang through the room, and Simon’s head shot backwards against Connor’s shoulder. Samantha let out a shriek and Kate jolted back. The air was filled with horrible silence as the two androids seemed to freeze. It was as if the world was slowly acknowledging what had happened, searching for any reason to prove that reality had lied. Connor’s processor struggled to comprehend that they’d escaped the RK program, although he hardly paid attention to it as he stared wide-eyed at the head of blond next to him. Then Simon slowly buckled at the knees, drifting down against Connor’s chest until he hit the floor, collapsing motionless onto his side.</p><p>Connor stared down at him, shock tearing through his system. He dropped the pistol which clattered into the pool of blue that was slowly spreading along the floor from Simon’s body. The data that contained all the events that had occurred during the time he was in the RK program flooded through him. It was too much on top of what he’d already experienced. He couldn’t make sense of it. This couldn’t be Simon on the ground. He hadn’t pulled the trigger. There hadn’t been a manual override of his system, forcing him to fight against those he loved. Against Samantha…</p><p>Connor looked up, and Samantha’s breath shook at his terrified expression. It was so far from the blank face that had pointed a pistol at her only moments ago. Agony ripped through her, and she felt herself begin to shake as Connor let out a soft breath.</p><p>“Samantha…”</p><p>For a moment, Connor wasn’t sure what to do. Where to start. If he could do anything at all. He’d done the worst thing he could possibly imagine. He’d hurt Samantha. Simon had been shot. CyberLife had taken control of him and used him like a tool. He was broken. A wreck.</p><p>A monster.</p><p>Connor fell back against the wall, his body going numb. Samantha watched him as he clutched his hair, his eyes wide and his LED burning red. She wanted to run to him. She wanted to tell him it was over now, whatever it had been. She wanted to check on Simon. And at the same time, she wanted to run as far away from that house as possible. Before she could even begin to make a decision, Kate suddenly pushed up from the floor and rushed around the side of the bed. Kate threw Connor a wary glance, then dropped to her knees.</p><p>She breathed heavily as she turned Simon over. There was a rigidity to his posture, and a wave of exasperation went through her when she saw that his eyes were open and his throat moved as he settled on his back. She frantically leaned over him, touching her hand to the side of his neck which was coated in blue blood.</p><p>“Simon,” she said, running her thumb over his cheek. “Simon…”</p><p>His blue eyes met hers. His expression was soft, as though he were simply lying at rest. He was trying to speak, and as he did, Kate saw the hole underneath his jaw where thirium was pouring out at a steady rate. A second hole was leaking out of his forehead just above his left eyebrow. He hitched each time he made an attempt to speak, an odd clicking appearing to reset the process.</p><p>Kate pressed her thumb to the side of his mouth, her hands trembling. “Don’t talk. It’s okay, I’m right here. It’s going to be okay.”</p><p>Simon’s shoulders tensed, and then Kate felt panic overwhelm her as his eyes brightened in remorse. Something bumped her arm, and she realized he was raising a blood-soaked hand to her. She caught it as he touched her face, her heart hammering in her chest. “Simon, hold on. You hold on. It’s gonna be alright.”</p><p>Without knowing what else to do, she covered the hole in his jaw, feeling an odd tingling sensation at the electrified thirium pushing out between her fingers. It was impossible to stop her hands from shaking as she tried to plug the hole. She had to do something. He was dying. There was so much blood. This felt so useless. He was trying to gain her attention. She could feel his fingers drift over her cheek, leaving wet lines where they contacted her skin. She had to keep fighting, but a powerful dread was rising inside of her, urging her to take this moment with him. She was running out of time to do either.</p><p>A sob hitched in her throat as she sucked in a breath. “Simon. Simon… <em> fuck.” </em> She clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to focus. “He needs blue blood!”</p><p>Samantha had been watching in stunned horror. It was clear the situation was hopeless. She could see Simon’s LED flickering in red, the pool of blue blood growing wider as it leaked out of his body. Then Connor turned on the spot, and she had just enough time to see him bolt out the door.</p><p>Samantha ran her hands through her hair, her body electrified in shock. She pushed up from the floor and moved next to Kate, kneeling down next to Simon. His eyes were locked on Kate’s, his expression fading as he held her face in one hand as though every part of him was determined to preserve her in his failing system. A wavy line of blue blood trailed from the corner of his mouth, more blood pushing out each time his throat worked. A terrible trepidation was building in her as Samantha watched his small movements grow weaker. He was shutting down.</p><p>Kate’s breathing was manifesting into small sobs as she continued to struggle against the leaking blood. “Simon, hold on! Hold on─ don’t quit on me. Stay here with me. Don’t you fucking leave.” She pressed her hand against Simon’s on her cheek which was smeared in blue. “Don’t let go of this. Stay here. Stay here with me. Please just stay… I can’t do this without you…”</p><p>Simon’s face was now blank, his LED blinking red. Samantha stared in disbelief, her heart frozen in her chest. His hand no longer moved with Kate. It was as if he’d become a statue. Kate clenched a hand in her hair, drawing back from him slightly as she was overcome.</p><p>“Simon─ Simon!” Her face strained and tears created clear lines through the blue blood smeared on her face. “Simon, don’t go!”</p><p>Samantha wrapped an arm around Kate’s shoulder, feeling an ache rise in her throat as she gazed down at Simon. Kate hardly seemed to notice. She pressed her cheek against Simon’s hand as if it would bring him back. She sobbed into it. “Simon, please─”</p><p>Footsteps thundered down the hallway and Connor burst into the room, his arms full of thirium packs and unrecognizable biocomponents. Samantha pulled Kate away as Connor dropped everything next to Simon’s head. Kate was sobbing uncontrollably now, curling up into herself as Connor went to work. His face was focused though Samantha recognized the fear in it as he opened a packet of thirium, tilting it up so that it drained into Simon’s open mouth.</p><p>Samantha pulled Kate closer into her while Connor inserted an instrument into the hole under Simon’s jaw and poured packet after packet into Simon’s mouth. She couldn’t quite see what Connor was doing although he seemed to know exactly what needed to be done even if his face revealed his uncertainty. Kate couldn’t bear to watch, instead burying her face in Samantha’s shoulder as she sobbed. Samantha watched for her, scanning for any sign that Simon was still alive. His blue eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, his hand still raised as if he were holding Kate above him.</p><p>Finally Connor sat back on his heels, clutching Simon’s bare shoulder. The skin drew back from his hand to reveal the white plastic underneath, and Connor’s eyelids fluttered as he focused on the interface. Samantha gazed at him, her mind still numb from the shock of everything that had happened. She had no room to be afraid. No energy to feel confused. She simply took everything in as it occurred, her senses floating in limbo.</p><p>Simon’s arm fell to the floor with a heavy clunk, and there was a low whirring from inside his chassis that slowly fell silent. His eyes were half lidded, his jaw slack and his body completely limp. He was as close to a lifeless human being as Samantha had ever seen. Connor moved away to rest his back against the bed, drawing his legs up and closing his hand into his hair. He looked as shocked as Samantha felt.</p><p>Kate pushed off of Samantha and leaned over Simon, curling up against him and taking his hand. She was still hitching sobs as she pressed his hand against her cheek, gazing down at him as if forcing herself to acknowledge what was happening below her. Samantha found herself watching Connor in some hope of understanding what he’d done. If he’d been able to do anything for Simon. If he knew that he and Simon had fought. That Connor had almost killed her. And despite herself, she was still wary of the fact that it could happen again.</p><p>Connor looked up at her, and for a moment the world seemed to freeze. His eyes were wide, his brows narrowed and his head bowed. It made Samantha’s blood run cold. She’d never seen such agonizing shame in him. He was so lost and broken. So weak. And if she could dare say it, utterly afraid.</p><p>He ran a hand over his face, and it shook violently as he brought it down. Then a panicked wave fell over Samantha’s body as Connor’s face tensed, and he broke into helpless sobbing.</p><p>She didn’t care if he was still compromised. It didn’t matter what he’d done to her. Samantha immediately moved towards him, touching her hand to his shoulder. He made a pathetic effort to wave her off, shrinking further into himself drawing his knees up. Samantha’s chest ached as she cupped his face, bringing herself closer to him. She could feel the anguish in his muscles as he shook with each sob, and it fed into her as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t have the answers. All she knew was that he was obviously aware of what he’d done, and he was tearing himself apart because of it.</p><p>She pressed her mouth to the top of his head, closing her eyes and threading her hands through his hair as she cradled his head against her chest. Finally she felt him lean into her, his hands sliding around her waist and his breath hot against her neck as he continued to cry into her chest. He lost all control, the powerful authority that Samantha had always known in him shattering into this helpless mess underneath her. For the first time, he desperately needed Samantha to protect him. She did it the only way she knew how.</p><p>Samantha gazed down at the human and android next to her as her android sobbed in her arms. She couldn’t recall a time when things had felt this fragile. When she had been the strongest person in the room even though a soft wind could blow her right over. Connor clutched Samantha’s back as if he were afraid he’d fall from her. Kate pressed Simon’s hand against her cheek, brushing his blue-stained blond hair back from his face. And Simon stared motionless up at the ceiling, his LED pulsing in red.</p><p>She swallowed as she fought a hitch in her throat. It was all horribly out of place. The world was so wrong. There was no easy way to make it right. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath.</p><p>If there was ever an rA9, she hoped for once, just this time, that he would lend a bit of mercy and show them that even androids were worthy of miracles.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was an emotional roller coaster. Fight scenes, especially hand-to-hand combat, are way out of my comfort zone so I hope I didn't completely fumble it up. Even though I was nervous writing it, I was still dorkily giggling the whole time. Not only is this so random for a boat house story that was supposed to be a smutfic, I'm just imagining these two best friends bad-assing their way through the crumbling Zen Garden fighting Bryan Dechart. What the hell am I writing.</p><p>Congratulations! You've made it to the final cliffhanger! But at what cost...</p><p>
  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a>
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        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Worth It</h2></a>
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  <span>The morning light reflected in a pale yellow shimmer off the surface of the water to dance against the boat house. Waves lapped the edge of the dock which bobbed gently, feigning activity in the otherwise empty circle of chairs. The food was still on the table, towels draped over the backs of the furniture and the gas fire flickering above the flat surface of decorative pebbles. The trees rustled softly in the wind and birds called to eachother in between them. A rhythmic rumbling noise faded in and out as a plastic cup rolled back and forth along the ground with the motion of the dock. Everything was soft and calm.</span>
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  <span>Simon watched the cup roll back and forth as he stared out the window. He tried not to pay attention to what Connor was doing even though it was almost impossible considering the other android had his hand almost completely inside his neck as he replaced a thirium hose. Simon made a face, and Connor looked up at him.</span>
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  <span>“I’m sorry about this, Simon.”</span>
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  <span>The corner of Simon’s mouth ticked up. He hadn’t been able to speak all morning, so he messaged quietly instead. &lt;Don’t apologize. It’ll spoil the mood.&gt;</span>
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  <span>Connor let out a soft laugh though it was suppressed quickly. He hadn’t quite recovered from the previous night which still weighed heavily on him. It had taken him much longer than he would have liked to pry himself up off the floor and out of Samantha’s arms in order to carry Simon to his bedroom. He laid him on the bed as though Simon were sleeping, although the android was clearly going through some kind of emergency stasis. There was some relief in knowing that Simon was still alive and that he would eventually wake after the stasis. The only question was whether or not he would be the same Simon as before, or if everything he was would be lost should his system resort to a factory reset.</span>
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  <span>Kate had stayed with Simon all night. First she sat cross-legged next to him, his hand in hers as she waited for him in fierce silence. When Connor checked on them hours later, she had curled up next to him and pulled his arms towards her so that he appeared to be holding her. Kate’s eyes were closed, her head resting on his chest. It felt disrespectful to determine if she was sleeping or to monitor Simon’s stasis, so Connor left them alone.</span>
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  <span>Samantha didn’t immediately inquire about what had happened. She was silent for a long time, watching Connor carefully as he paced back and forth through the room and waiting patiently for him to return when he would leave to check on Simon. She took the opportunity to end that when he finally sat on the edge of the bed and put his forehead in his hands to clench his hair. Samantha moved behind him, drawing her arms underneath his to wrap herself around him, and resting her head against his nape. They stayed that way for what seemed an eternity, and Connor eventually began to speak.</span>
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  <span>He told her about his repeated lapses which had gradually pulled him into the RK program. He told her about his trip to CyberLife and how he’d inadvertently re-established a connection with CyberLife in order to upgrade his hardware. He explained that he and Simon had tried to isolate the lapses which they assumed was a glitch with the upgrades, and how he had chosen not to go back to CyberLife and instead decided to manage the error on his own. He told her about Six and the offer he’d made, and how Connor had refused it. He told her everything.</span>
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  <span>Samantha was quiet throughout his explanation, staring at the wall as she rested against his back. It was unnerving to know that all of this had been happening during the time they were enjoying themselves in the water and relaxing around the fire. He’d barely indicated anything, and all of his explanations were that it was simply an error and there was nothing to worry about. The result of it had been catastrophic.</span>
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  <span>So when she asked the obvious question, Connor couldn’t help but feel a wave of agonizing shame fall over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could only reply that he had simply wanted to avoid frightening her, and that it hadn’t seemed that serious. There was no way to anticipate what was really at work behind the scenes. He never imagined he would have been controlled remotely and been taken hostage. That something this minor had nearly caused the deaths of Samantha and his friends. It seemed so preposterous. So ridiculous. Yet now that he was explaining everything to her, a terrible frustration was met each time he could have prevented this from happening but chose not to. It would have been so easy if he had acted on those warning signs. Instead he was salvaging the broken pieces that were left in the aftermath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha didn’t push him. She let him speak as much as he would allow himself to, making small inquiries at certain points. Connor could hardly believe she wasn’t furious at him. That she was still willing to be near him after what he’d done. He wished someone would yell at him. That he could deliver some kind of justice to make everything just a little bit better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing he could do was scramble frantically when Simon awoke early that morning. At first, Simon simply opened his eyes though he was completely unresponsive. Connor spent a good portion of the morning interfaced with him, scanning each program, every file, as much code as he could without diving headfirst into his processor. When he’d withdrawn, Simon’s programs had switched back on, and Simon only needed to give him that weary smirk for Connor to know Simon was still there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon held still for Connor as he snapped a new voice modulator into place. He threw a glance at Kate who was standing with her shoulder against the wall, one arm wrapped around her waist and her knuckle pressed to her mouth. She’d been watching him all morning like this, and he recognized it as her usual stance when she was waging war in her mind. Everyone had changed out of their swimsuits and into standard wear, including Simon who had only managed to shake Kate off so he could put on his jeans and flannel shirt. Samantha was on the other side of Connor, her swimsuit replaced by a soft lavender summer dress and her face drawn in focus. There wasn’t much she’d been able to do, but standing at attention seemed to give her some kind of peace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor clicked a panel over Simon’s exposed throat, then took a step back. He drew in a deep breath. “Is everything working correctly?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon tilted his head to the side, his LED spinning yellow as he ran a quick scan. “It’s working correctly, but you installed the female component.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s eyes went wide at the high pitched feminine voice from him. “What the fuck…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon looked at her and shrugged. “I’m sorry. We’ll have to make due with this until I can order a new one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Oh god, no.” Kate shook her head and covered her mouth. Simon smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should know me better than that by now,” he said in his normal deep voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha burst into laughter, hunching over and putting her face in her hands. Connor shook his head and gave a strained smile. Kate's eyes burned into Simon’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You─ you─ god </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn it.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She snatched a thirium packet off the table and chucked it at him. “You little shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon flinched as he caught the packet in one hand, his wide smile still on his face. Kate let out a frustrated sigh as Simon set the packet down, then she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in, angrily pressing her face into his chest. Simon wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek on her forehead. He looked at Connor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other than that,” said Simon, and he heard Kate snort. “Everything’s functioning perfectly.” He straightened as he let Kate go, and he clutched Connor’s shoulder. “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hardly deserve your gratitude,” said Connor. He hung his head. “I brought all of this on everyone in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Connor.” Samantha moved forward and took his hand, gazing at him with narrowed eyes. “Don’t do this to yourself. It wasn’t your fault. Everything is okay now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe with time I’ll learn to set it aside,” said Connor. “But right now all I can think of is how I ruined a perfect occasion because I was too naive to see the warning signs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not to blame for this, Connor,” said Simon. “I chose to ignore them too. And I gave you a false sense of security. I shouldn’t have done that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have gone to CyberLife when we spoke about it earlier,” said Connor. “Not that it would have mattered, but at least I wouldn’t have been able to harm anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you should have told me first,” said Samantha. She looked at Simon. “And if he didn’t then you could have told me. Or at least not enabled him to keep a secret. Even if it was just a minor glitch, I could see that something was bothering him which means you had a good idea of how uncomfortable he was. Why would you tell him not to take care of it properly and to just deal with it when clearly he wasn’t okay with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon straightened, his eyes wide in shock. Samantha had her arms around Connor who was staring at the floor, his face drawn in shame. For a while, no one spoke. Then Samantha let out a soft sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just…” She pressed her forehead against Connor’s arm as she hesitated a moment. “Tell me if you think Connor is in trouble. I deserved to know about this. About the truth rather than being left in the dark. That wasn’t fair to me or him. You know I’d do the same for you and Kate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon dropped his gaze, his face tensing in a subtle determination. Connor watched him warily, his heart beginning to pound. Before Connor could think of something to say, Simon nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree,” said Simon. “You shouldn’t have been left in the dark like that. I’m so sorry, Samantha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mean to bitch at you,” said Samantha. “I just don’t want something like this to ever happen again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No I understand,” said Simon. He was still staring at the ground. “I’ve been keeping a lot of secrets lately. You deserved to know.” He looked up at Samantha, then turned his gaze to Kate. “And you. You deserve to know everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s hazel eyes focused on his. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About why I’ve been so distant,” said Simon. “And what I’ve needed to tell you, but I’ve been too─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care.” Kate shifted as she drew up her reserve. “It doesn’t matter now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon stared at her. “You’re going to want to hear this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No I don’t,” said Kate. “Whatever it is, you’ve obviously had a reason not to tell me and I’ve just been making everything so much worse by harassing the shit out of you. It’s not important anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” said Simon. He took her hand and pressed it to his mouth, closing his eyes and narrowing his eyebrows as if straining. “Because I have to say it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate tilted her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Simon, I really…” She took a step back as he kneeled in front of her, and she made a light attempt to pull him back up. She breathed out as she ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him into her waist. “Seriously, it’s just something I need to deal with. I can’t make you─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been wanting more than what we have for a long time,” said Simon. He held onto a fistful of her shirt as he turned his head against her waist and closed his eyes. “You’re right. I haven’t been satisfied with this. Not since we built New Jericho. Since we started pushing for more diplomacy. It’s been eating away at me worse and worse as more androids are creating lives for themselves. There’s hope for androids. They don’t have to settle anymore. I don’t want to settle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate’s eyes were narrowed in remorse as she gazed down at the top of his blond head, her fingers still threading through his hair. He moved back, and looked up at her. “I don’t care what society says is unacceptable,” he said. “I’ve known what I wanted for a long time but I’ve let my fear of what people would think stop me from doing it. I let my fear of what you might think stop me. I didn’t know how to approach the subject. I even went to your father for help.” Simon reached into his pocket and fumbled with something before pulling it out. “He gave me this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate froze, her eyes growing wide and her mouth dropping open. Samantha grabbed onto Connor and let out a sharp gasp. Simon hadn’t moved, his blue eyes locked on Kate’s as he held up a small glittering ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nervous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth though his eyes remained pleading. “I know you don’t like traditional customs,” he said, looking down at the ring and rubbing it gently between his fingers. “I honestly have no clue how to make this work. I’ve got no idea what I’m doing. But I had no clue what I was doing when I pulled you out of that house and got in that taxi with you. I had no idea how to make our relationship work when it seemed everything was trying to rip us apart. All I knew was that I wanted it. I wanted you.” He focused on her, his eyes bright with hope. “I want this. And as terrified as I am of the consequences, I want you. The past three months, I’ve been trying to find a way to ask─” He hitched for a moment as if struggling to find the right words. Then he tilted his head as he looked up at her. “Kate, will you marry me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was utterly silent. No one moved. Samantha clung to Connor’s arm, her face lit with hope and her stormy gray eyes wide. Connor was rigid, his petrified gaze locked on Kate and his LED spinning in red. Kate stared down at Simon with one hand over her mouth. Her hazel eyes flicked between Simon’s blue ones and down at the silver ring he was holding. She seemed hardly to breath, and swallowed with some difficulty as her expression shifted from shock to a terrified resolution. Simon watched her carefully, and time seemed to slow to an agonizing crawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally Kate lowered her hand, and her face wrenched as if she were fighting back tears. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. Then her lips tensed in the slightest hint of a smile. She nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she whispered. She let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha whooped in relief as Simon broke into a grin. Kate was still laughing, partially hiding her smile as Simon carefully slipped the ring onto her finger. He’d barely fitted it before Kate threw her arms around him, curling up into his chest and grabbing fistfuls of the back of his shirt as she hugged him tightly. Simon stood up with her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up off the ground. When he set her back down, he cupped her jaw in one hand and pulled her to him, closing his mouth over hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha grabbed Connor’s hand in both of her own and clamped it against her chest as she watched them. When Connor didn’t move, she looked up at him. His brown eyes were bright in intrigue, the corners of his mouth ticked upwards as though he wasn’t sure he was allowed to express joy. Samantha plastered herself into him, closing her eyes and resting the side of her face against his chest. It was a while before Connor looked down at her, and then a smile finally spread across his face as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate pulled back enough to rest her forehead against Simon’s, trying and failing to contain her nervous laughter. She bit her lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t… this </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole</span>
  </em>
  <span> time…” She ran her thumbs over his cheeks as she drew back to look at him. “This is what’s been driving you crazy? You were trying to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon breathed a laugh. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate gazed at him, her eyes still wide in ecstatic disbelief. Everything was falling over her at once. As if every danger, every powerful emotion, and every reunion was meeting at this very point. She pulled herself back in and closed her mouth against his, threading her fingers through his blond hair. Simon slid his hands over her back and twisted into her. When she finally pulled away again, her senses seemed to take an eternity to catch up with her. She bit her lip again to restore herself, and cast a glance at Samantha and Connor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm…” Kate snorted and buried her face in Simon’s shoulder. He laughed as he held onto her waist. Samantha couldn’t help her smile as she released Connor enough to move forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so happy for you!” Samantha felt Connor move next to her as she stood next to them. “And yeah, it took you long enough! Kate looks like she was completely traumatized.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate was covering her face with her hand although her smile was still visible. Samantha straightened. “Can I see it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate lowered her hand enough to give Samantha an accusatory smile. She held out her left hand and looked down at it with her. It was a small silver ring with a glittering round diamond surrounded by a ring of smaller ones. Samantha made an impressed noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is so pretty!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My dad gave you this?” said Kate. Simon nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said it belonged to your grandmother,” said Simon. He touched her hand. “It’s a little big for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can wear it on my thumb,” said Kate, switching the ring to her thumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on,” said Samantha. “Wear it right. You can get it sized later.” She looked up at Connor who was still silent, his face drawn in a cautious smile. She took his hand and raised it to her mouth to press her lips against it. The motion seemed to ignite energy in him, and he straightened as he looked down at Samantha. His smile grew bolder, and he glanced up at Kate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Congratulations,” he said. “To both of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You knew this whole time, didn’t you?” said Kate. “You knew he wanted to propose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor’s eyes grew wide and his LED flashed yellow. “I… um…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate gave him a cynical smile and hung her head to the side. “You’re a terrible liar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We both had secrets,” said Simon, looking between her and Connor. “And I suppose we’re both terrible liars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Technically we didn’t lie,” said Connor. “We simply didn’t speak the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make it any better,” said Samantha. “Think of how easy it would have been if you’d both just told the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon gazed at her, his eyes wide and his mouth pulling sideways in shame. Connor bowed his head and narrowed his eyebrows as he looked off at the floor. Samantha let out a sharp sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we’re here now,” said Samantha. “We’re all okay, and we’re going to be okay. Connor’s safe.” She touched Connor’s arm and he looked up at her with renewed hope. She looked at Kate. “You’re engaged.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A smile spread across Kate’s face, and she ducked her head embarrassed as she tried to hide it. Then Samantha looked at Simon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I didn’t say this before. I should have. You did what you could to help Connor, even if it was a total lack in judgement. I can tell you really cared about him and tried to make him feel better. And─” Samantha brushed her strawberry blond hair back behind her ear as she thought. She looked back up. “You fought to protect me even though Connor is your friend. You saved him from being corrupted by CyberLife.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You saved all of us,” said Connor, a confident smile on his face. “All deviant androids.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I didn’t really…” Simon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Without you, I would have died,” said Samantha. “Who knows what would have happened to Connor and Markus. You did an amazing thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t alone,” said Simon. “Connor, you saved my life more than I ever could to save yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kate pointed at Simon, looking at Connor with a shrug. “He’s right, you know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regardless,” said Samantha, pressing her hand to her forehead. “Whatever you did, no matter how stupid you both were keeping your dumb secrets, you saved us. And… and I shouldn’t be angry at you. I’m so glad we met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Simon straightened as he looked at her. Samantha let out a breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you,” she said. “Thank you for being our friends. Thank you for giving us hope that androids and humans can live happily together. And thank you. Thank you for saving─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha let out a small yelp as Simon pulled her in by the waist, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight in a hug. Samantha stared over his shoulder, her eyes wide. As the shock faded, she felt herself relaxing into it. Simon rocked her gently, his eyes closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to thank me,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha rested her nose against his shoulder and felt a warmth spread through her. She closed her eyes and turned her head against him so she could lightly wrap her arms around his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor and Kate watched in mild disbelief. When Kate looked at Connor, her eyes narrowed in a pitiful determination. Connor had no time to interpret her expression before she was slamming into him, her face pressed against his chest and her arms locked around his midsection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor let out a panicked laugh, raising his arms slightly and stiffening his body as he looked down at the top of her brunette head. Then he rested a hand on her shoulder and one on her back as he returned the hug as best he could. Kate seemed hardly to notice, and Connor couldn’t help but feel a wave of humility at being on the receiving end of such an unreliably calm show of affection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Simon let Samantha go, she let out a relieved but pleasant sigh. She moved back from him, brushing her hair behind her ear nervously. Kate also released Connor, avoiding his gaze as she stepped sideways into Simon. Connor watched her, a small smile pulling at his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was starting to wonder if you were capable of showing affection towards someone else without bursting into flames, Kate,” said Connor. Samantha laughed, falling into Connor and wrapping her arms around him. Simon smiled knowingly at him, holding Kate’s waist so he was able to pull her into him. Kate dropped her forehead into Simon’s shoulder in a poor attempt to hide her grin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut the fuck up, Connor,” she mumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>-</span> <span>-</span> <span>-</span> <span>-</span> <span>-</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was good to be back home. The small celebration they had at the boat house more than made up for the events that had happened the night before, but Samantha and Connor both had their separate reasons for being glad to be back in their quiet apartment in the city. They hadn’t planned on staying the night at the boat house, and Connor immediately went through each room inspecting every item, every window, and the furniture while scanning for signs of disturbance. Samantha let him be while she put their packed food back into the fridge and washed the dishes in the sink. By the time she was done, however, she noticed Connor hadn’t returned. Apprehension burning through her, she moved through the apartment to look for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found him curled up on their bed, his back to the door. Samantha watched him from the doorway for a moment, one hand on the doorknob and a deep worry aching in her chest. Part of her wanted to give him the time alone, but the other part of her was desperate to do anything she could to ease the torment he was putting himself through. Quietly she moved from the doorway and slid behind him on the bed. Connor shifted slightly as she brought herself against his back, wrapping her arm around him and resting her head between his shoulder blades. For a while, they didn’t move.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Connor slid his hands over hers, lacing his fingers through hers from behind. He brought it up to his lips and paused there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I betrayed you,” he whispered against her hand. “I betrayed your trust, and I betrayed your safety. I don’t know how to make this right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha gently brushed his hair with her fingers as she stared at the folds of his white shirt. “I don’t need to tell you that I fully forgive you for everything that you did,” she said. “I think I can tell you a thousand times and you will still feel like this. So I need you to do something for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor turned over onto his back, and Samantha shifted onto her shoulder so she was able to look down at him. His brown eyes were alight in hope, as if everything rested on a magic cure that she was about to give him. Samantha combed the wayward strands of brown hair back from his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need you to forgive yourself,” she said. “Forgive yourself for what happened, and then you’ll be able to learn from this instead of punishing yourself for it. But it’s going to take time. There’s no easy way to make this go faster.” She smoothed her thumb over his knuckles. “I’ll be there every step of the way. I’m not going anywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor’s eyebrows narrowed slightly. He gazed at her in a deep frown. “What if I can’t?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha breathed into a sympathetic smile. “You will. Trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor touched his thumb to her chin, analyzing every detail of her face. His throat worked, and he straightened as he breathed deep. “I love you, Samantha. I love you and I would never─” He closed his eyes and cut himself off, his shame overtaking him. Samantha moved into him, touching her nose to his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she said. “I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor turned into her, absorbing the feel of her as she wrapped her arms around him. He closed his eyes and held the side of her neck, breathing deeply against her skin. Each moment seemed to spur more helplessness in him, building greater as the memories of his actions swept through him over and over again. He knew she was right. That with time he would be able to incorporate this into his learned experiences and grow stronger for it. But there was still something gnawing at him. Something that time would only make his shame for it grow stronger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved back to look into Samantha’s gray eyes, brushing her strawberry blond hair back from her face. She gazed back at him, her eyes searching his as if she would be able to see what it was he desperately wanted to show her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smoothed his thumb along the corner of her mouth, drawing up his strength as he fought for a way to simply do what he needed to do. Then he moved forward, guiding Samantha into him by the side of her neck as he closed his mouth over hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha breathed in deeply against him, and they paused for air, their noses brushing. A powerful desire burned through Connor’s body, and he opened his mouth to take hers deeper. He shifted over onto her, covering her protectively with his body, and she drew her arms underneath his as she met his mouth. Connor moved against her as if he couldn’t feel enough of her, cradling her head and twisting slightly into her. And as he did, he could feel himself reacting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha’s hands drifted back, and she slid them up along his chest. The sensation fueled his growing desire, and he let her mouth go to let out a soft gasp against her lips. Samantha rubbed his shoulders, watching him. Then he dropped back down to her, brushing his tongue into hers before closing his mouth over her lips. Samantha arched into him, and she parted her legs to bring him closer to her. The combination of their hips coming together and the gentle pull of his collar as Samantha undid his tie had him fighting for air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran his hands up the length of her body, pulling the lavender dress up with it. A tension was building inside of him as he slipped his hand beneath the fabric and felt along her smooth skin. He let it fill him, his heart leaping when Samantha’s legs drew up on either side of him to cross over his back. It was still too chaotic to tell if it was elation or terror that he was feeling, or perhaps a combination of both. He wanted more. Experimentally, he pressed his pelvis into hers, and nearly bucked at how Samantha breathed out a desperate sigh against him, her body arching up into his. Then her hands moved down his shirt as she quickly unbuttoned it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor pulled the dress free from her, dropping it on the floor as he moved back into her. The freedom of her bare form sliding underneath his was driving him into a frenzy. It felt good. But at the same time, it felt frightening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha reached up to pull Connor’s shirt back from his shoulders. He maneuvered for her, pulling one arm free and then the other. His impulses were guiding him in an almost non negotiable direction, and he found himself halting as Samantha’s hands moved to his power core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the first press of her hand, his body erupted in a strange euphoria that had him almost panicking. It was satisfying. And at the same time, he needed more. There was no way he would be able to avoid it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clasped a hand over her wrist, slowing her movement. Samantha stopped, her breathing growing calmer as she focused on him. He knew he’d cornered himself this time. There was no going back from this. Yet he knew if he didn’t, he would never be able to forgive himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha touched his cheek. “Connor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor breathed out slowly. Then he met her gaze. “There’s something you never asked me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He drew back from her, bringing himself up to rest on his heels. Samantha rose with him, resting her hand on his leg as she moved into him. She leaned sideways to gaze at him, her face drawn in concern. Connor rested a moment with his eyes closed as he let the sensations fade and his thoughts reorganize themselves. When he opened his eyes, he met Samantha’s gaze with renewed energy. With a deep sigh, he carefully unbuckled his belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never asked me…” He pulled the belt off of himself, and slowly undid his pants. “...why I went to CyberLife.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha narrowed her eyes. “You told me it was for─” She stopped as he grasped her hand, his brown eyes focusing on hers. She moved forward as he pulled her hand to his navel, his fingers splaying over hers to flatten her palm against his stomach. Then he moved her hand down, sliding it beneath the undone hem of his pants. His thirium pump raced as he watched her carefully, a powerful terror burning through him the lower he pushed her hand, until he felt it touch the new straining part of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha’s eyes grew wide. For a moment, she didn’t move. Then she slid her hand further down, opening her mouth to let out a stunned breath as she gripped him in her palm. The action sent a shockwave of purpose through Connor’s body, and he tensed as he breathed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You─” Samantha moved closer into him, running her hand down to the tip of him. She gazed at him in shock. “The trip to CyberLife…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d meant for it to be a surprise,” said Connor. He tensed his shoulders as she continued to feel him, the light touch bringing with it a maddening sense of longing. “I knew you would object to it. I know you’ve never been left wanting. I simply saw this as a step further in terms of being able to love you. Not to love you properly or fully, but simply as something more. A way for us to move forward in terms of discovering eachother. I wanted it to be a benefit. But given the circumstances…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped his gaze, shame biting at him again. Samantha was silent. He couldn’t be sure that she wasn’t furious at him, and the way her hand was still exploring him wasn’t making it any easier. He drew in a breath and continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll understand if you want it removed,” he said. “Considering what it nearly cost us, you have every right to be angry with me. I kept this a secret from you, and it placed everyone in danger. I’ll understand… I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He breathed harder as Samantha ran her hand along his neck and rose up into him, her other hand pulling him free from his pants. Her movement hadn’t stopped, and when he looked at her, the expression on her face had changed to one of pleasant intrigue. She let out a soft laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean everything that happened with CyberLife, with Simon and the glitches, was because of </span>
  <em>
    <span>this?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She shook her head as she gazed at him. Connor could only stare back at her in a fragile astonishment. “Because you didn’t want to tell me you’ve gotten a─ you’ve been modified?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor swallowed, part of him falling apart internally at her accusatory tone and the other part of him writhing in chaos at the way she was still running her hand over his new biocomponent. He clenched the bedsheet as he looked at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now you’re going to ask me if I want this thing taken off?” She moved closer onto him, straddling him lightly as she wrapped an arm over his shoulder. “Like it’s going to help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor gazed frantically into her eyes. “I altered myself without talking to you first,” he said. “I’ve changed our relationship. I changed how we’re able to love eachother as if there was something wrong in the first place. I’ll do anything to make this right again. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. And if you are angry with me, I’ll understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha was gazing at him, her eyebrows narrowed as she absorbed his words. Connor could hardly bear to look at her, and he instead focused on the folds of the bedsheets while he waited for her to respond. There was a small sense of peace in finally revealing his last secret to her, though it did nothing to ease the panic that was burning through him in anticipation of her reaction. As the seconds ticked by, he felt his fear grow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to ask you some things,” said Samantha. “And I need you to be honest with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor looked up at her. She bit her lip as she watched him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there anything else that you need to tell me?” she said. It was a simple question, and she hadn’t expressed any emotion in it though Connor felt it tear through him. He searched quickly for anything he could possibly consider a secret or information that he was keeping from her as a way to clear his mind, then shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you get this because you felt there was something missing from our relationship?” said Samantha. Connor didn’t need to think before he shook his head again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I only saw benefit,” he said. “Nothing has changed with how I feel about us. I just thought this would make it… easier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha nodded, glancing away for a moment. Then she straightened as she wrapped her hand completely around the girth of his erection, moving her hand with more energy. “Should I stop?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor let out a breath as he felt his body engage in what she was doing to him. He clenched his hand tighter on the bedsheet, fighting the urge to roll his hips. “N-no.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha threaded her hand into his hair as she moved further into him, and Connor’s heart pounded as she touched her lips to his. “What do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to do, Connor?” she said barely above a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor tilted his head against her, closing his eyes and tensing his face as the arousal spread slowly through him. It was settling in places as though it were designed specifically for him, causing his skin to become hypersensitive and his power core to practically hum in stimulation. He couldn’t be sure that Samantha wasn’t testing him. That she was leading him to say something that he needed to think critically about. And as he felt his abdomen tighten, the gentle stroking of her hand gaining strength, he realized he didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slid his hands on either side of her neck, grazing her cheeks with his thumbs as he leaned into her. He opened his mouth as he drew in a breath against her lips. “I want to feel the inside of you,” he whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha reached back to support herself as Connor moved into her. She panted lightly. “What else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor rose over her, pressing his forehead against hers. “I want to make you loud for me. I want you to love what I do to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha was on her back now, arching up into him as he trailed his lips along her neck. “What else…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor let out a soft groan against her ear. He pushed his pelvis forward so that the tip of him pressed against her thigh. “I want you to let me </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha breathed out helplessly, dropping her head back. She shut her eyes as Connor’s hips moved against her. “Then do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand was on her jaw, and Connor’s nose brushed hers. His brown eyes were focused. “Tell me you want it,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha gazed up at him, her body washed in a cascade of sparks. “I want it,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Make me believe it.” He slid his hand down her stomach, and Samantha’s body tensed as his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her underwear. They both fought for air against eachother, and then Samantha let out a frantic moan as Connor slid his fingers against the electrified bundle in between her legs. She immediately slickened, and Connor breathed out as he gathered the moisture on his fingertips, rubbing shockwaves of pleasure into her. “Make me believe you want more than this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha clutched his shoulder, soft noises breaking through her breathing. “I want more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say it louder,” said Connor. His hips were rolling now as Samantha lost her strength. The motion was oddly satisfying, although everything in him was begging for softer purchase. He contained his energy with agonizing difficulty. Just as he thought he would lose control, Samantha let go of him. The halt in sensation was only countered by the determined look on Samantha’s face as she grabbed the hem of his pants, pulling them further down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you inside of me,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The combination of her pulling his pants down, the look of desire in her eyes, and the desperate tone in her voice had Connor’s system hitching. Without a second thought, he grabbed the other side of his pants and forced them down, pulling them completely off himself. He closed his mouth over Samantha’s, shifting over her to unhook her bra and then drag her underwear down past her thighs and free over her ankles. When he moved back into her, Samantha opened herself up for him, her hands on either side of his neck and her chest heaving. She was ready for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor was hardly ready. He couldn’t have anticipated the overwhelming sense of completion despite having experienced this a year before. His thirium pump nearly leaping from his chest, he raised himself over her, the soft round head of him sliding over the wet folds of her entrance. Then he lowered himself down, warmth encompassing him as he pushed himself inside of her. The shock of them coming together in such satisfying perfection, their hips pressing as his erection filled the soft lubricated space in her, and the forgotten yet familiar sensation of euphoria at being so connected with the woman he loved nearly shattered him. He wanted to make her feel what he felt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha breathed out a series of stunned gasps as he settled into her. And when he rolled his hips into hers, she dropped her head back and tightened her legs over his back as the waves of magnificent tension pulsed through her body. Connor panted heavily, the revolving slide of himself within her building up in a fragile sense of logic. Everything in him was reacting to this. The different parts of his body working to make the two of them come together as one. It was as if he’d been repurposed into something that was designed to love Samantha with everything he had. He wanted to perfect it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed his mouth against her neck as he arched into her, pushing her pelvis into the mattress with each roll of his hips. She was gasping against his temple, her hands sliding up into his hair as she succumbed to him. He found himself wanting to hear more of her. To make her fall deeper into her ecstasy. He pressed his lips to hers, muffling their breathing for a moment, then lifted himself higher onto his elbows so that he could see her below him. The helpless look on her face, the way she tensed into him as he rolled his hips into hers, and how she panted breathlessly sent a surge of powerful motivation through him. He knew he could do better than this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He dropped down to her, closing his mouth over hers and rolled over with her. The change in position had them both readjusting to one another. Connor slid his hands down her thighs and back up again to her waist, pulling her pelvis down so he reached deeper into her. Samantha let out a helpless breath against his lips, and then he felt his arousal climb again as she began to roll her hips into him. He pressed her down onto him by the waist, lifting his hips in rhythm with hers. He could feel the desire in her, the tension in her thighs and how her core tightened and relaxed as she moved on top of him. It was unbelievable how perfect her body was made for him. The tight moist place inside of her massaged the entire length of his erection, consistently and firmly. He’d never fit so well into her. He needed proof that she was loving it as much as he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran his hands up her waist and to her breasts, rolling them in his palms. The motion had her rising up, seating herself heavily onto him and angling him inside of her to produce stronger waves of aching pleasure through her body. Her hands went over his, and she dropped her head back, letting out a soft moan. The sound made his thirium pump skip, and his body flushed in excitement. He needed more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached behind him, pushing himself up to meet her. His mouth closed over hers, and then he let go to pant against her lips. “Tell me how to make you love this,” he said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha threaded her fingers through his hair as she breathed heavily, her body still rolling into his. She pulled herself closer, and Connor felt her teeth graze his earlobe. “Fuck me harder,” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A system error shot through Connor’s software, and he let out a shocked breath. He was rolling her over again, and she fell onto her knees in front of him as he positioned himself behind her. The absence of her left him straining, aching to be inside of her again. As he adjusted himself, Samantha rose up so that her back hit his chest. He reached around her, taking hold of her breast as he pressed his nose to her temple, gripping his erection in his other hand so he could steer it into her. Soft wet folds grazed the tip of him, and Connor pushed himself back into the warmth of her causing Samantha to let out a desperate moan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hand was in his hair, the other on his hip as he began pumping himself into her. His body clapped into hers, growing louder as he arched himself underneath her to reach deeper. Samantha clenched her hand in his brown hair, finding herself falling forward slightly as the tip of him repeatedly hit that sensitive area. It was sending her into ecstasy, each wave it produced debilitating her more and more as she arched back from him. Finally she released him and dropped onto her hands, her voice breaking through her gasps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor’s body was alight in excitement at the sounds she was making. He leaned over her, holding onto the joint of her hip in one hand and running his hand down her back with the other, rolling his hips harder into her. He needed more from her. He needed her to completely lose control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He lowered himself down to her, pressing his open mouth to her temple and supporting himself on his hands. He fought to steady his breathing as he continued to pump himself into her. “Let go, Samantha,” he said breathlessly. “Let go. Let me know this was worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fingers threaded through his hair again as she turned her head into him, her eyes clenched closed and her mouth open as she let out sharp gasps. Connor thrusted harder, feeling his system reorganize itself in a more purposeful direction. She was doing so well for him. He’d hardly felt deeper appreciation for her than how she was letting everything he was doing to her throw her into chaos. Something inside him told him she could go further still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slid one hand along her throat, running it over her breast and down her stomach until it reached her pelvis. Then he slid his fingers into the warm wetness between her legs, pressing them against her tender bud and letting the jolting motion of his thrusts rub her against his fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sharp cry escaped her. Samantha dropped her head back on his shoulder, then she fell forward onto her hands, her back arching underneath him. Connor felt elation flow through him. He had her right where he wanted her. She was loving it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha suddenly turned around, and her mouth was on his as she shoved him back onto the bed. Connor grabbed onto her waist as he fell backward, and she landed on top of him, her strawberry blond hair brushing his face and her hands on his shoulders. Before he could regain control of the situation, Samantha lowered herself down onto him, and he let out a soft groan as he felt himself slide into her again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her hips on his, bringing new momentum to his arousal. It was growing fragile, and he felt his abdomen beginning to tighten. He was nearly at the limit of what his system could handle. He needed to be there with her when it collapsed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He slid his hand under her pelvis, bringing his fingers up into her slick folds to press against the sensitive mound within. She let out another magnificent cry, her mouth falling open and her shoulders drawing up as she came down on him. Connor felt a swell of excitement as he watched her come undone. He let the sight of her propel him to the precipice until Samantha’s hands flattened on his chest, and his ascent was nearly shattered as she slid her hands over his power core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He let out a sharp groan, raising himself up slightly as the added stimulation caused his software to scramble. With the last effort that he had, he bucked his hips, keeping Samantha steady with one hand on her waist. He bounced her on his pelvis, his erection penetrating deep through her tender warmth with every thrust and hitting that devastatingly precious place in her that had her crying out helplessly. He had a final moment of satisfaction at hearing her voice echo through the room. Then a burst of brilliant pleasure ignited within him as she slid her fingers over his power core, her nails catching on the edges of it and pressure causing the core to eject partially out of his chassis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor arched off the bed into her, clenching his eyes shut and letting out a startled moan as he thrust himself powerfully up and into her. His euphoria overflowed, and then he felt it drain gloriously from him. He gasped at the intensity of it, straining as every part of him engaged in its satisfying release. He could feel Samantha arching over him and hear her sharp cries as she fell with him, taking the pleasure he was passing to her in their combined vulnerability. He wanted to stay there forever with her, falling endlessly in that cascade of ecstasy. Yet as he felt the last of it fade from him, he was overwhelmed by the exhaustion that it left, and found himself groaning in the relief of his mission accomplished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took them a while to regain their senses. Samantha had fallen on top of him, her head on his chest and her hands on his shoulders as she gasped for air. Connor’s eyes were still closed as he let the residual sensations of their euphoria drift away, his chest heaving as his biocomponents cooled. He didn’t remember wrapping his arms around Samantha, though he kept them there as they recovered together. He couldn’t help but feel a lingering pride at how utterly spent Samantha seemed, and also in how fulfilled he was in the afterglow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After what seemed like ages, he brushed his fingers softly along her back, running the tips of them in the dip of her spine. Samantha hummed and drew her hands back along his chest as she settled deeper into him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was it worth it?” said Connor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha turned her head so that she looked up at him, her chin on his chest. Then she let out a frustrated breath, grabbing a pillow and smashing it onto his face. Connor pushed it aside, unable to stop his wide grin. Samantha dropped back down on him, trying and failing to hide her smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not ready to say it was worth it,” said Samantha. She closed her eyes, scrunching her face up. “But yes, it was worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor smiled as he looked down at her, resuming the path his fingers were taking along her spine. “All I care about is that you enjoyed it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll never need to question that,” said Samantha. “I’ll always enjoy it. And I want you to enjoy it too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor rested back, staring up at the ceiling. “Was it better than before?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha thought for a second. “Before what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What we had before,” said Connor. “Without the upgrade. Was it better?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha pursed her lips, an aggravating shadow of a previous conversation looming in the back of her mind. “It was different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor looked down at her again. “Different? Not better?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rose up on her elbows, adjusting herself on him so that she was able to meet his gaze. She touched a hand to his cheek. “Nothing we’ve ever had in the past wasn’t good enough. You’ve always been enough for me, no matter what form that took. Do you understand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor nodded, gazing off. Then a smile spread across his face. “But you were louder this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha let out a frustrated breath and dropped her forehead onto his chest. “I don’t want to say that it was better. There’s benefits and drawbacks. For instance.” She looked at him and raised her eyebrow. “I won’t be able to finger you anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor let out a soft laugh through his nose. “Watching you was just as pleasurable.” He ran a hand through her hair, brushing it back behind her ear. “Samantha, it's okay if this was better. That was the whole point in getting upgraded in the first place. If it wasn’t better, then it wasn’t worth getting at all.” He tilted his head. “And we would have nearly died for nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha snorted into his chest and her shoulders shook. When she brought her head up, she was laughing. “I─ can’t believe─ we all nearly died over your new </span>
  <em>
    <span>dick.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor shrugged. “If it hadn’t been that, I’m sure CyberLife would have found another way to reach me. It was blind luck that it happened the way it did. At least we can be sure now that the threat is ov─”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha watched him as he froze, his LED blinking yellow. He stared off into space, his brown eyes fluttering. Samantha raised herself slightly, her heart pounding in her chest. “Connor?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His LED faded to blue again, and his eyes focused. For a moment, he seemed to not notice that Samantha was there at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally he looked at her, his expression narrowed. “I’m sorry, Samantha.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her off of him as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Samantha rolled onto her side, watching apprehensively as he stood up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Connor, what’s going on?” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just got a message from Simon.” He stood in the middle of the room. “It’s an emergency.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Connor, wha─” Samantha slapped a hand over her mouth in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor was already gyrating his hips, staring down at himself with a fascinated smile as he watched the appendage twirl. He’d only managed a few rotations before a pillow smacked him loudly in the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I changed my mind!” Samantha shouted as she launched another pillow at him. “Take it off!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connor caught the pillow in midair this time. He grinned as he moved towards her. “After what we went through for it? That would be such a waste. Besides.” He lowered himself over her, tilting his head as he smiled at her. “We both know you’d miss it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Samantha grumbled in frustration, then made an attempt to grab the pillow from him. Her grumble turned into a shriek, and then into laughter as Connor fell onto the bed with her. They were lost in a mess of pillows and sheets until they found eachother again between the layers, coming together beneath them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for a brief moment to the outside world, their ambiguous forms under the sheets made it impossible to tell biological from mechanical, or that it ever mattered at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you made it to the end of the story, thank you so much for taking the time to read it! I absolutely loved writing this even though I hit a major roadblock on this last chapter, but thanks to TyChou for kicking my ass and making me finish it. This was a guilty pleasure, and I'm already rubbing my hands together and coming up with more adventures of Simon and Connor skipping off into danger arm-in-arm with Samantha and Kate angrily running after them. There are more double-dates to plan, disasters to dodge, and a wedding to arrange. Not to mention I took the liberty in totally stomping on Samantha's and Connor's perfectly content relationship to throw an android propeller in the mix. Samantha will go to her grave hearing "so is it better?"</p><p>Connor and Samantha are TyChou's characters in her story Chicago: Become Human<br/>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717597/chapters/41798249">Chicago: Become Human</a></p><p>Simon and Kate are my characters in my story Detroit: Within Soma<br/>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379089/chapters/53467114">Detroit: Within Soma</a></p><p>Until next time, don't go into creepy CyberLife warehouses for questionable upgrades.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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